Demons
by LittleDemonInside
Summary: AU. Shiznat. A demon and a human meet in a club. The demon leaves the human. Said human secretly follows the demon into the Demonic Realm. Chaos ensues.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer for the Whole Story**: I don't own Mai Hime, or any of Sunrise's characters. However, there are a few original characters that I do own.

Beta'd by: **RevalisPyross **and** Starch  
**

**Heads Up**: This first chapter is in first-person where all the succeeding chapters are in third-person. I don't know why, but it just turned out that way.

And here we are, the first chapter for the new and improved _Demons_! I called this "almost" fully re-written because only the story's outline is the same. Some parts of some chapters are similar to their previous renditions, but they aren't completely identical. I fixed the OOCness that I could, given the setting, and the parts that _do_ seem out of character will be justified in a later chapter.

Welcome to the world of _Demons_!

* * *

It was a night that started out just like any other. I was having girlfriend troubles so I decided to 'hang loose' and try my hand at clubbing. It wasn't my usual thing, but I thought I'd give it a shot because 'how bad could it be?'

As it turns out, the service was slow, the drinks were rather weak and about twenty minutes after I had arrived, I could see a couple of men starting to walk in my direction. Normally I would think nothing of it and gently turn them down, but tonight I really wasn't in the mood; I decided to walk out onto the dance floor before they could arrive.

It didn't take long to get into the surprisingly addictive music. I swayed back and forth with the tempo, cautious not to bump into anyone. (The last thing I wanted was for someone to think I was sending out an invitation.) And for the most part, I was successful, that is until someone managed to sneak up from behind.

_Clever,_ I thought, placing my hands over theirs, _but you're going to have to find yourself another dance partner. _I succeeded in removing the person's hands from on top of my hips, only for them to snake their arms around my stomach, holding me in place. Irritated, I tried to subtly pull away, but the person's grip only tightened in response, pulling their front against my back. _Definitely female_.

It was at this point that I realized my mystery girl wasn't going to back out any time soon, so I decided to just let her have her dance_. I suppose things could be worse, _I mused, indulging in a little smile.

When the song was finally over, I made to move away, thinking she would withdraw after it was through. She did in fact withdraw, but not in the way I had expected:I felt her uncurl her arms from around my waist and immediately latch onto my wrist, "Follow me." Her smooth voice easily cut through the blaring music around us.

Before I could assess what was happening, she started pulling me toward the club's back door; her pace was quick, almost anxious as she expertly weaved through the thick throng of dancers without being touched even once. I could barely keep my balance.

I glanced over her shoulder to examine the face of my captor, only to find her face concealed by the dark blue strobe lights that had been blinding me for the past five minutes. What I could see, however, was a blue bandanna tied around her head that covered her ears; She had on a dark, button-up shirt; form-fitting black pants with the legs tucked into black boots and to top it all off, a body-length leather jacket. Black and dark colors seemed to be a theme of her wardrobe, greatly contrasting her cream-colored skin. Her long, black hair gently flowed as we made a beeline for the exit.

She finally arrived at back entrance to the club and shoved it open, pulling me through like the living rag doll I had apparently become. We descended the small steps and I whimpered as my back was harshly shoved against the red brick wall, pain shooting up my spine.

My maroon eyes opened to glower at the shorter woman and I was about to voice my ire, but my breath caught in my throat at the sight I was greeted with: two blazing emeralds, a wild look about them as she pinned me against the wall in my moment of weakness. She leaned in close, her lips gravitating towards mine, our gazes locked all the while. She stopped a centimeter short and uttered five words that would forever be embedded in my mind:

"_I'm going to eat you._"

_What? _Her face was close enough to mine to where I could see the reflection of my eyes staring deep into hers. What expression was that? Fear maybe? Awe? I suddenly felt like cornered prey under those intense eyes.

That was when I felt a pair of hot lips press against mine, my arms pinned above my head by the wrists and a leg placed in between my thighs, trapped. I gasped slightly in surprise, accidentally opening my jaw; I felt her tongue enter my mouth.

The flexible muscle moved around feverishly, exploring every millimeter of space there was to find. Her tongue was rough, overpowering, like an untamed animal tasting its meal before it finally indulging in a well-deserved feast.

Curiously, however, the fever in her actions quickly died down, replaced by kisses exchanged between sexual partners in the heat of passion. Soon enough, I heard myself moan against my will, my eyelids unable to keep themselves open as I started to return the kiss, tongue and all.

It was all too much, too fast. I couldn't think.

I felt her hand touch my side, brushing softly in feather-light caresses. I shivered when the hand slowly, _slowly_ made its way from under my shirt to my waistband. Crawling down from my pant's belt-line, the fingers paused just after entering and I _knew_ I was going to be taken right then and there.

_And you're just going to allow it, Shizuru?_ I was unable to stop myself from wanting this; unable to register anything besides the feel of her hand and tongue. I couldn't even push her away. _You _want_ to be taken in a dirty alleyway by a stranger?_ I whimpered as her teeth nibbled on my bottom lip. No, I couldn't resist; my body was ready for this.

But it never came.

I slowly opened my heavy eyelids when I felt her break our heated kiss and back away. I saw her baring her teeth, her cheeks flushed lightly in what looked to be stunned embarra— Wait, there was definitely something off about her canines, almost inhuman. Before I could get a good look, she saw my inquisitive gaze and quickly closed her mouth, turning away.

"Shit," She cursed, her green stare off to the side, confused, panicky almost. "This is getting me worked up."

_Ara, you're telling me._ I was trying to calm my libido down (and feeling slightly peeved that she just stopped like that.) and was puffing slightly, _Wonderful, Shizuru. You almost gave up your body to a complete stranger with a pretty face just because she slammed you into a wall and started to make out with you._ I shivered, feeling ashamed.

She turned to me, looking indecisive and perplexed. She must have stared for at least eight seconds, her mouth opening and closing a couple times with no words coming out. Frustrated, the black-haired woman gave up, simply shaking her head and quietly made her way toward the main street of downtown Fuuka.

"Wait," I started weakly when noticed her turning to leave. I frowned at how helpless I sounded; claret eyes hardening, I cleared my throat and tried again, my accent coming out slightly thicker than usual, "Who are you?" _Out of all the questions I could have said, did I really just ask that?_

The raven-haired woman paused in her stride and turned her head to look over her shoulder. There was a deep look in her emerald gaze, one I didn't understand, holding knowledge I didn't have. It caught me unawares and I found myself yearning to be able to comprehend that look. _Regret?_ _Uncertainty? _Why?

"Your worst nightmare," She finally responded, sounding every bit serious. She rounded the building's corner, disappearing from my life as quickly and mysteriously as she entered it. Standing alone in the alley, an almost instinctive urge to follow her ran through me. A strange, lonely feeling washed over my body as I realized something:

_She didn't tell me her name._

_To Be Continued_

_

* * *

_

So that was the first chapter! This is also the beginning of the first of two arcs, the Shiznat-centric arc, of _Demons_. Yes, it doesn't stop at this end of these fifteen chapters. There's still more to read, so enjoy!

See? Much different than the previous version of this chapter, but still follows the same outline. The rest of the story will also be like this, so I can only hope you like the alterations I've made to the story and continue reading. (This was also the first clit/cock-tease of many in the story so get use to it. ;P)

Also, starting in the next chapter, not only will there be little comments about what you've just read after each chapter, but also information about a selected species will be there so that the various races are a bit easier to imagine and understand. (And of course the demons will be from characters mentioned, not random species.) This will be a bit easier on me in the long run, and on all of you as well, I'm sure. (It'll be just general information. Any differences or specifically needed knowledge will be mentioned in-story.)

If you like what you've read, or see something I can improve on, please leave a review with any questions or comments you might have. =)

**Extra**: There's a Mai Hime/Otome/Series site called Mai Universe. Here's the link if you want to check it out: **http : / / maiuniverse . yuku . com / directory**


	2. Chapter 2

Beta'd by: **RevalisPyross **and** Starch  
**

**Heads Up**: This chapter, and all succeeding chapters, have original characters in them, in some way or another (there's three total in this arc.)

Hey! If you're reading this, you obviously liked the first chapter enough to keep reading!... Or you're giving this story a second chance to redeem itself. In either case, I'm thankful. But enough about me, eh?

And now, on with the second chapter!

* * *

'_She didn't tell me her name.'_

_And what does it matter?_ Shizuru Fujino asked, trying to shake herself out of her stupor, furrowing her brows lightly. _A stranger was about to use your for a one night stand, but decided against it. Just walk away and act like it never happened, Shizuru._ Nodding in response to her thoughts, she made her way for the club's back door, only to halt when resting her hand on the door's handle.

Still, she could not deny her curiosity for her mysterious dance partner. There was an almost supernatural pull she felt when thinking about the younger woman, a drive to learn about her and a want to see her again. _Why?_ She wondered. She'd only known the raven-haired woman for ten minutes at the most! Surely no sort of connection could be established in that short amount of time.

_I want to see her. _A small part of her tugged at Shizuru, willing her to follow the stranger. The brunette turned her gaze to look at the entrance of the alley. She was reminded of that bright, mysterious gaze, _I want to know what she was thinking_; She recalled those inhuman teeth, _I want to know about her._ Her feet started to move on their own, instinctively leading her toward the main sidewalk and along the route the dark haired woman trekked, _But most of all, I want to see her._

She swiftly followed her object of interested into the mass of people, weaving her way through the crowd to follow familiar glimpses of raven-black locks. Forty or so steps and the brunette found herself at the entrance of a new alleyway. She turned in just in time to see a flash of black… walk through a wall?

Naturally, she paused, a sense of bewilderment settling over her. She took a hesitant step forward, _Did she just…?_ A confused frown, _But that's not possible._ Then how did the shorter woman do it? Cautiously, she walked over, placing her hand up to the wall. Fujino jumped back when it started to ripple, quickly looking at her hand to make sure it was unharmed. "There really is nothing there…" She marveled, glancing back up at the illusion when she felt no pain.

Again, her curiosity got the better of her as she found herself staring at the 'wall'; deep down inside a part of her was even _excited_. First a enigmatic stranger and now futuristic technology? This was starting to sound something like an adventure novel she once read— Shizuru shook her head, calming herself before her mind could start conquering up fantasies, _There's a perfectly logical explanation for all of this. Besides, you're just going to talk to the woman, not take up a sword and slay dragons with her._

With that thought in mind, she stepped through.

She gasped, her eyes widened as she took in the sight before her. _Th-there's a perfectly logically explanation… for all of this…_

Creatures of all sizes walked about the room; tall and short, fat and skinny, humanoid and just plain animalistic. If you could imagine it, it was in that room. Some looked like regular humans, while others looked like they belonged in cages; some were humans with animal features and others looked like they had walked out from someone's nightmares.

Shizuru quickly looked away, trying to remove the image of what she just seen from her mind before she spotted a brief glimpse of black. _There she is!_ The brunette quickly made her way toward the other side of the large room, weaving her way through the bizarre crowd.

The space Shizuru was crossing appeared to be a busy city subway terminal, its size stretching farther than the human eye could see. On one side, people lined up in front of subway tracks and on the other, people slowly entered and exited a series of gates leading to who knew where. The person Shizuru was tailing exited one of these gates, and Shizuru entered the line leading up to it.

Pointedly ignoring everything around her, the brunette shifted uncomfortably while trying not to make eye contact, especially with anything that looked like it had more than two eyes. _Where am I? A theater? A movie set? That would explain the costumes, but what about the trains and illusion doorways?_

Unfortunately, Shizuru was unable to ponder any more on this as she felt a tap on her shoulder. She subtly stiffened, musing on what kind of costume she'd have to cope with before finally turning, steeling herself. She glanced over her shoulder to find… a perfectly normal looking human. The brunette let out the breath she was subconsciously holding, placing a smile on her face. "Yes?" She asked politely.

The tall woman held an amiable grin on her face, her one visible yellow eye gleaming brightly in the otherwise poorly lit room. She looked like a foreigner and her choice in clothing pushed this point further. "Ah-ha! A willing customer!" The woman exclaimed happily, her happy mood brightening up a few more notches. "Perhaps I can interest you in a map of the area?" She solicited, her American accent thick even as she spoke perfect 'standard' Japanese. The woman fished around in one of her many pants pockets and pulled out a large, nicely folded piece of paper.

Shizuru's smile dimmed a little as she found her new company to be nothing more than a sale's woman looking for a sell, "Ah, no thank you, I'm just passing through to find a friend of mine—"

"Oh!" The raven-haired woman beamed, "I also have connections for 'another type of information.'" A smirk spread across her face and she leaned in, hooking an arm around the now-uncomfortable brunette, "I can help you find this "friend." For the right fee, of course," Hint hint, nudge nudge.

A hard thump quickly followed and the foreigner unhooked her arm in favor of rubbing the back of her head. "I'm sorry about that, Miss," Another, huskier voice followed, talking over the groaning, "My friend never seems to know when to quit." This person was Japanese.

Shizuru's red gaze turned to find a smaller woman (man?) looking at her with dark golden eyes and a stoic expression, almost the exact opposite of the taller woman's excitable actions. "No, that's alright." She seemed to be wearing cosplay wolf ears and a matching tail. _Odd,_ Shizuru thought, _But then again, I did just walk through a wall. _She was still trying to figure that one out.

The first woman stood up, glaring daggers at her somber friend, "Did you have to hit me so hard? Now I look like a fool in front of a potential customer!" The American gestured toward Shizuru.

The wolf-eared friend cracked a small smile, her eyes glinting. However, instead of indulging her joke to all of those around, for they had gained quite a crowd of on-lookers, she quickly humbled herself and responded maturely, "She didn't look like she was interested when you first mentioned it. Any more and you would have been harassing her."

The American crossed her arms indignantly, "She could have just been a hard sell," She defended.

After shaking her head, the cosplayer turned and looked up to meet Shizuru's gaze, "I'm sorry about my friend's antics. As an apology, we'll help you look for your friend free of charge."

"F-_free_?" The tall one blurted incredulously, "Speak for yourself!"

"Baxter! I should'a known you were in the center of all this commotion," Complained a beefy, suited guard as he pushed his way into the center of the gathered crowd.

The raven-haired one spun, but promptly frowned when she saw who called her name, quickly looking disinterred. Her mood reflected in her bored tone, "Oh, it's you."

The guard's temper flared up, "Dammit Baxter, how many times have I told you to stay out of the Terminal?" He glared.

"About twenty-three times," The American replied, smiling innocently, "Why do you ask?"

The guard bared his teeth, "Cut the innocently act, I know you're up to something! You're probably smuggling weapons across the border!"

"Oh, you must be psychic!" Baxter mocked the man further, "Quick! What number am I thinking of?" She asked giddily.

"Can it, Baxter!" He growled out. This woman always tested his patience! "You're acting suspicious and I think that woman is the cause!" He pointed at Shizuru while continuing to glare up at the American, "You're smuggling her across because she doesn't have a Terminal pass, aren't you!"

Baxter blinked. She turned to glance at Shizuru with a blank stare before turning back to the obtuse man, "Well, I'm not doing a very good job of hiding her, am I?"

"_Argh_, enough! She smells suspiciously like a human which raises the question of if she's one of them," The guard eyed Shizuru carefully.

"And you smell suspiciously like body odor which raises _several_ questions about your personal hygiene," Baxter replied smoothly, inwardly grinning like an imp as the guard snarled.

The wolf-ear woman tapped Shizuru's shoulder, drawing the brunette's attention, "C'mon, she's distracting the guard so we can pass." They both sneaked past as Baxter and the Terminal guard continued their rather one-sided argument. Warily, Shizuru followed the cosplayer through the gate the woman she was tracking walked through before, arriving at yet another large side street on the other side.

About halfway down the walkway, the boyish-looking woman turned to face Shizuru, "Now, what did this friend of yours look like?" She asked, getting right down to business.

Red eyes regarded the golden pair staring right back at her, assessing if it was okay for her to reveal anything_. She looks dependable enough, and she honestly seems like she wants to help. _Shizuru relaxed a little and decided that since she hadn't seen where her target had gone, that she could use a little help from someone who knew the area, "I'm looking for an Asian woman with long black hair, bright green eyes, and wears a black trench coat."

"That sounds suspiciously like Kuga!" The American sauntered up to the pair, the biggest grin on her face. "That also sounds suspiciously like two hundred other women in this city, but Kuga's always the first to come to mind," She smiled easily.

_Kuga? Is that her name?_ Shizuru stored it in her memory. "Yes, that's who," She replied, playing along.

Baxter smiled knowingly, "Of _course_ you're looking for Kuga! What sensible, single girl isn't?" She snickered. She then stopped abruptly and stared at Fujino skeptically, "Hold up, you said you were her friend, right?" A yellow eye trailed the brunette's body up and down, "In all my years of working for Kuga, I don't recall her ever mentioning someone with your description, and trust me, with your looks, you'd certainly catch her attention."

Shizuru almost swelled at the information of being able to catch this 'Kuga' woman's attention, but quickly berated herself when she recognized that satisfaction, _What are you getting all proud about, Shizuru? Certainly you have more self-respect than that._

"Are we really to question Kuga-sama's friendships?" The shorter, sensible one of the pair, chimed in. Shizuru could have sworn she saw one of the wolf ears twitch.

Baxter hummed dismissively, "Guess not." She turned back to the brunette, "Anyway, it looks like Kuga headed off to the right. She just passed through so if you head down that way, you can't miss 'er." That glint reappeared in Baxter's one visible eye and she smirked again, "Are you sure you don't wanna buy a map of the city? Pretty easy to get lost around here."

"No, I should be fine from here. Ookini," Shizuru bowed lightly in thanks.

"Well, in any case, here," Baxter handed Shizuru a small business card, "I'm Alexis Baxter and this is my partner Kane Urufu." She backed up and walked over to Kane, playfully 'petting' the wolf-woman in between the pointed ears, much to her partner's chagrin, "If you need anything, and I do mean anything, be sure to give us a call; if you have the money, we'll find the info." And with that, they were off.

Shizuru watched them turn onto the road, out of site, before gazing down at the business card. She stared at it, musing over the eccentric duo before putting the card away, "Right, time to find this Kuga-san." She walked to where the alleyway met the sidewalk and turned to the right.

* * *

'_You can't miss 'er.'_

_Apparently I've succeeded in doing what many others cannot,_ Shizuru sighed, her burgundy eyes having dulled into a dark brown to reflect her lack of enthusiasm. She'd been walking down the street for a good half hour and she still hadn't found the mysterious stranger. Various parts of her body were starting to ache as well:

The tips of her fingers stung and the bottom of her feet pulsated dully with every step she took. Her shoulder blades almost felt like they were being pulled at and the small of her back and nose constantly itched, no matter how much she scratched them. What hurt the most, however, were her four throbbing canines, the pain strong enough to cause her to whimper; she remedied that by softly chewing the inside of her mouth, but it had to be constant or else the pain would return as strong as ever.

Shizuru lifted her hand to her mouth, wondering what she had eaten to irritate her teeth so much. _Maybe I should make a dentist appointment,_ She thought absently, lightly gnawing the inside of her cheek.

Each time Shizuru thought of turning back the way she came, her gut instinct would edge her on. That little feeling in that back of her mind, telling her to search for this woman and talk to her, had only grown more persistent ever since she stepped foot into this unfamiliar city.

Her persistence rewarded her:

"You walked out of that club pretty fast," Shizuru could practically hear the feline smirk in the woman's words, "Find a good catch?"

"I just wanted to get out of there as fast as I could," A huskier voice than the first responded, "You know I can't stand the pounding music in clubs."

Shizuru's eyes widened, _It's her! _The brunette couldn't mistake that voice, even if she tried. She pulled away from the swarm of people, ducking into the side street and walked close to the wall; a sudden chill ran up her spine as she saw two figures close by. Excitement? Anticipation? Whatever it was, Shizuru had to keep herself from breaking out into a full sprint.

She hid behind a large dumpster; red eyes narrowed as Shizuru tried to make out the smaller details of the figures a little farther down the street:

"Tell me you at least kept a limb or two for me to munch on," A much shorter redhead was standing next to the woman Shizuru was stalking. (… _Following_, Shizuru mentally corrected with a frown.) She was wearing khaki overalls over a white-and-pink stripped shirt. She also seemed to be cosplaying as something, Fujino noted, as she had little horns, wings and a tail, all in a matching color of bright red.

"I didn't eat her," The raven-haired woman replied plainly, taking out a packet of cigarettes from a coat pocket. With her unoccupied hand, she snapped her fingers, igniting a small fire no bigger than a lighter's. She lifted her flame-coated thumb and lit the cigarette between her lips, inhaling a little and letting the taste envelop her tongue.

_Magic?_ Fujino watched as the fire extinguished into nothing.

"… What?"

"I almost had sex with her instead," This time, Kuga's answer came with a guarded edge as she exhaled some smoke from her mouth.

Green meet green. "Hasn't your mother ever told you not to play with your food?" The shorter woman quipped dryly. "Seriously Kuga, you have a whole nation of demons trying to get into your pants and you almost shack up a _human_?"

"Shut it, Nao," Kuga snapped, reaching up at taking off the bandana to reveal human-sized, pointed ears. She stuffed the bandana into one of her trench coat's pockets while continuing, "I was about to eat her but then…" Kuga's expression became distant, troubled. Her emerald gaze fell to the floor, as if the answers she was seeking could be found in the cracks between the cement blocks. She glared and shook her head, lifting her stare once more to look at her redheaded companion, "It's not important. What's done is done, let's go home."

Kuga's friend, now known as Nao, gaped, watching as Kuga straddled a motorcycle that looked like it would be more at home in a _Tron_ movie, "What do you mean, 'what's done is done'? That was going to be my _dinner_!"

Kuga flashed a grin that made the concealed figure shudder in delight, "I guess you're just going to have to hunt by yourself tonight, huh _imp_?"

Nao's face flushed pink in anger, "Fuck you, Kuga. Fuck you."

The corner of Kuga's mouth twitched, "Maybe later."

The horned woman calmed down at the taller woman's words and smirked right back, "In your dreams, Kuga."

Shizuru's breath hitched, disturbed as images of the two women's bodies clashing, writhing together, appeared in her mind uninvited. As the pictures continued to come, Fujino found herself trying to will them away. Crimson eyes glanced back at the bantering pair, quickly growing jealous of their easy smiles. _Anger? Why am I angry?_

A side of her, she recognized it as the feeling that was pulling her to follow Kuga, was quietly fuming, envious of the redhead. It promptly labeled Nao as 'an enemy,' but for reasons Shizuru was unsure of. The brunette was quickly becoming unsettled at this part of her she herself could not recognize. She forced herself to calm down, but couldn't seem to quiet the storm altogether.

Shizuru instead turned her attention back to the pair, shifting her position to get a better look, but quickly froze when a gun was pointed directly at her.

Kuga glowered coldly at the dumpster, holding a single chrome-colored gun level with the brown structure, "Come out!" She ordered, her pointer finger held steady on the trigger. Her sensitive, pointed ears had picked up on faint shuffling down the street; she had turned her head instantly, pinpointing the sound and tuning in to hear labored breaths behind the large bin.

_A gun?_ Shizuru let out a shaky breath, slowly standing and walking out from behind the dumpster. Her hands were held up in surrender, her limbs trembling at the sight of the pistol. She stood in plain view of the other two, staring up the barrel of the firearm into shocked green eyes.

"Y-you!" Kuga took a step back, her aim faltering slightly as her gaze locked with dark red. _What the hell is she doing here?_ The raven-haired woman's mind churned for answers, but none come. She turned her attention back to the brunette and lowered the gun, but didn't stop glaring, "How did you get here?" She held back a snarl. _Could she have been a demon? No, that's impossible, so how…?_

Shizuru relaxed her stance a little, but didn't pull down her guard; the look in Kuga's eyes told her she was still inches away from death.

The redhead looked back and forth between the two, "Uh, friend of yours?" She addressed Kuga, feeling out of the loop.

"No," Kuga didn't even look at the impish woman as she responded, "_That_ was going to be dinner."

"Din—?" Nao turned to stare at the brunette, eyes wide in disbelief, "She's _human_?"

"Yeah," The raven-haired woman turned all her attention back to said human, "Now, how the hell did you get here?" She asked levelly, but sounding only steps away from flaring up again in anger.

"I followed you here," Shizuru replied truthfully.

"W-what?" Natsuki's jaw went a little slack. The lit cigarette fell from her mouth onto the sidewalk below, forgotten. _How did she make it past the Terminal gate? No human has ever made it to this side before!_

The brunette continued after taking a cautious step forward, "I followed you here because I wanted to…" She trailed off. Why _did_ Shizuru follow her? _Because I wanted to be around her? Because I wanted to talk to her?_

'_Because you wanted to feel her body pressed against yours once more?'_

Fujino's breath caught in her throat, her cheeks flushing a light pink as images of earlier that day flooded her mind. There was a sudden want, a _need_ to be caressed all over, hot skin touching even hotter flesh; a need to have that woman's scent envelop her, drown her until she couldn't recognize anything else, and finally, a need to be taken over and over until she knew those hands were made for her body, her body _alone_.

A dark red gaze looked deep into emerald colored eyes, "I want you, Kuga-san," Said the side of Shizuru she didn't recognize. She quickly regained her senses, _Did I just say that?_

"Sex?" Nao asked incredulously. "She followed you into the Demonic Realm for _sex_?" The redhead turned to her housemate, "You really know how to choose 'em, huh?" She remarked, spinning her pointer finger around her temple in a 'she's crazy' sign. The horned woman then smiled wickedly, turning to the human, "How about we save her a trip back and just eat her right here, Kuga?" Nao licked her lips.

Kuga turned to her friend, then looked back at Fujino frowning lightly in confusion, caught up in her own thoughts. _She's right, a human can't be walking around in the Demonic Realm._ The raven-haired woman stalked toward the bewildered human, placing her gun back into a hidden pocket on the inside of her coat. Kuga smirked as the brunette backed up into the dumpster she was previously hiding behind, "Nowhere to run." She clasped the human's wrists in a harsh grip, pinning the other woman against the bin. She grinned, showing her larger-than-human canines, "Welcome to the Demonic Realm, or as you humans call it, Hell."

_Human? Demonic Realm?_ Shizuru watched Kuga frantically, now very much aware of those sizeable teeth and their purpose. She felt like a captured meal waiting for the inevitable end. Fujino looked past her holder's shoulder to find that the redhead was airborne! Those tiny red wings were flapping fast enough to where they almost disappeared.

Nao's red tail flicked back and forth impatiently as she watched, "Well, get on with it, Kuga! I'm hungry!"

_D-demons! They're going to eat me!_ She thought, reality hitting her like a brick. The brunette's eyes were overflowing with fear, her body trembling, "P-please don't." Her voice was barely a whisper. She stared deep into the gunner's menacing green gaze, a gaze that belonged to a bloodthirsty beast, "K-Kuga-san…" Tears that had been building up at the edge of her eyes finally fell in two small streams.

The streams startled Kuga, her harsh stare softening as she looked into terrified, bloodshot eyes. She watched as another tear fell down Shizuru's cheek, feeling the human's body quake underneath her, _She… she shouldn't be scared. She shouldn't be crying. _The raven-haired demon looked back up into claret irises, feeling compelled to comfort the human.

_What is this?_ Kuga thought bemusedly, her harsh grip loosening around the brunette's wrists. _This feels exactly like what happened back at the club._ She watched as Shizuru's body relaxed, her fearful expression replaced by puzzlement, probably wondering why she wasn't being devoured at that very moment. _Why am I relieved that she's safe? _Kuga wondered as she felt her own body unwind in turn.

_But most of all, why do I want her to be happy?_

"Call me Natsuki."

"Hm?" Shizuru stiffened a little at Natsuki's low tone, still on edge.

"My name is Natsuki, call me Natsuki." Natsuki let Shizuru's wrists go and backed up a good meter or so. Green eyes watched Shizuru diligently, waiting to see what the human would do. Would she run off or…?

Against all of Natsuki's expectations, however, Shizuru simply stayed where she was, inwardly surprisingly the shorter woman. Shizuru studied Natsuki as carefully as Natsuki studied Shizuru, they were in a deadlock.

"_Hello~?_" They both jumped as Nao made her presence known once more. "What the hell was that? What about our food?" The redhead pointed at Fujino for emphasis.

"We're not eating her," Natsuki answered, staring right into Shizuru's eyes. "No one's eating her," She added on, her eyes hardening.

Kuga shifted her gaze to stare over Shizuru's shoulder, back towards the main street of the city, "Nao, is the Terminal still open?"

"Why the hell should I answer you?" Green eyes glared at the back of Natsuki's head, clearly pissed, "You let our meal go not once, but _twice_!" The horned demon glanced back to the human, _I could just zip over there and—_

"As a Helper, you're required to obey a Charge's orders, right Yuuki Nao?" Natsuki glared over at her Helper, daring the imp to disobey.

Nao shuddered, knowing exactly what happened to Helpers that didn't follow their Charge's orders; it wasn't a pretty sight. She then sneered to cover up her apprehension, "The Terminal's closed by now. We walked through about twenty minutes before closing time."

"Dammit," Natsuki cursed, "She'll have to stay at our house until tomorrow."

"What?" Of course Nao was _completely_ against the idea, but quickly humbled herself (albeit huffing) when Natsuki turned to glare at her a second time.

"Nao, go on ahead and open the house. After that you're free for the night."

"Oh _thank you_, your royal pain in the ass," Nao responded bitterly, mock bowing in the air before zooming off faster than Shizuru's eyes could follow.

_I guess they really are demons,_ Shizuru thought, staring in the direction Nao flew off in. _Real demons that feast on people._ Fujino fought against the shudder that wanted to course through her body. She suddenly felt helpless, trapped in a new world.

"As for you," Natsuki's voice drew Fujino's attention, "Get on the bike."

"'You' has a name."

"Eh?"

"My name is Fujino Shizuru."

"Fujino-san—"

"Shizuru," The human corrected.

"Shizuru. … Get on the bike, _Shizuru_."

"No," Shizuru smiled, crossing her arms under her chest.

"_No?_" Kuga stared on incredulity.

"When you ask me politely, then I will get on," A playful glint had entered Shizuru's eyes.

Natsuki gaped, _Is this woman serious?_ It soon became apparent that Fujino was indeed serious when a minute passed between them and nothing happened.

Where had all this newfound confidence come from? Was she not scared of Natsuki only five minutes ago? So how was she _teasing_ a demon, of all things? But Shizuru couldn't help it because, as weird as it sounded, she felt safe with the demon. _And now I must be going insane,_ She mused.

"Argh, fine. _Please_ get on the bike, _Shizuru_," Natsuki deadpanned.

"Certainly," The brunette walked over and straddled the bike, albeit a bit awkwardly, due to never being on a bike before. "Ara, see? That wasn't so hard."

Natsuki glared at the human, as if staring at the 'innocent' smile on the human's face would make it disappear. It didn't however, and only grew as Shizuru noticed Natsuki's irritation. _What kind of demon goes around asking politely for things?_ Natsuki opened her mouth to reply, but then noticed Shizuru… straddling her bike… smiling up at her.

"…" Natsuki was well aware that she suddenly wanted to be on the motorcycle _that much more_, something she didn't think possible as she was sure she owned the sexiest bike in existence. Now conscious of that red stare, Natsuki quickly strode over and shoved the helmet into Shizuru's hands, "You'll be needing this more than I do."

Shizuru stared at the dark blue helmet for a bit before placing it over her head, snapping any clips she could find together.

After climbing in front of the human, Natsuki leaned forward and gripped the handlebars, "Make sure to hold on tight. Demonic technology is a bit more advanced than human technology." She felt the human's arms wrap around her torso and fought off a shiver, the enticing image of the brunette straddling her motorcycle coming to mind once more. She shook it away, "Tighter or you'll fall off."

Kuga felt Shizuru brace against her back, squeezing her torso. "Better," She touched the dome at the front of her bike, watching as all the blue lights blinked to life. Satisfied, she rolled out toward the main street before taking off at the standard city speed of eighty miles an hour, heading toward her small home in the center of the city. Natsuki smirked when the grip around her torso became bone-crushingly tight, _And this is for teasing me earlier._

_To Be Continued_

_

* * *

_

And chapter two is complete. Tiramisu points to anyone who can correctly identify what "that strange side of Shizuru" is. Why tiramisu? Because tiramisu is **LOVE**. (Or cookies points if your not a fan of it. /blasphemy)

If you like what you've read, or see something I can improve on, please leave a review with any questions or comments you might have. =)

* * *

Elves (Natsuki)

**Group**: Mythical

**Type**: Magical

**Features**: Pointed ears that elongate when building power; large canine teeth

**Characteristics**: One of the best "all around" magic-user demonic races; Easily endure magic-based attacks; Highly acute hearing; Originate from dense forest


	3. Chapter 3

Beta'd by: **RevalisPyross** and "Starch"

There's a lot less Nao in this chapter since the last rendition of it. Kinda makes me sad, but she has a bigger part further down the line to make up for it. =) Oh, and I changed the rating to 'M' because of this chapter, just to play it safe.

Enjoying this next chapter. =D

* * *

Shizuru watched in mild surprise as Natsuki turned the handle, opening the door, _I didn't think that imp would actually do it._

"Shocked that she actually did it?" Natsuki asked, her back still to the brunette as she walked into her lobby. She held the door open, waiting for the human to walk inside.

"A little," Fujino admitted as she stepped in, keeping her questions to herself out of courtesy, despite her curiosity. The human's dark gaze drifted about the demon's house, taking in what she could see:

From the outside, it looked rather small, as what one would normally expect from a house in the city, but the inside was another story. The size itself wasn't large, but the space and how everything was arranged made it look more spacious than it actually was. The lobby was connected to the narrow hallway that leads to the stairs. On the left side of the hallway sat the living room, open and spacious, fitted with many electronics and a long couch in front of the television. The kitchen was placed on the right side of the hallway, had stainless steel appliances, and even sported a table and chairs in the middle of the white-marble room. Under the staircase was a door that leads to the laundry room in the back. On the second floor were three bedrooms and a separate bathroom from the master bathroom. Two of the rooms were occupied, the third being a guest room.

Natsuki's voice drew Shizuru's attention back to the demon, "Don't be, Nao's under my command. She can't disobey." The biker continued to talk while she placed her helmet on the hallway table and took off her boots, "You'll use the guest room for tonight. Feel free to roam the house, but don't touch anything in my room."

Shizuru silently watched as Natsuki walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, turning the TV on. She frowned at the other woman's dismissive attitude but shook her head, letting go it. Fujino followed into the living room, sitting on the opposite side of the couch from the demon, "What do you mean, 'can't disobey'?"

Natsuki's bright green gaze moved from the glowing box and met Shizuru's stare, her eyes glinting, "To put it simply, she's my slave."

"Sla—…" The human immediately clamped her mouth shut, reigning in her indignation. What right did she have to question some other society's social structure? _Still, slavery?_ Her disapproving thoughts must've reflected on her face because Natsuki sighed and started to explain.

"There's a social chain starting from the Council, the five most powerful demons in the Realm, that is lead by the Lord, the ruler. As the level of power descends in demons, so do the ranks until you're left with slave-class and Sealed demons." _Why am I even explaining this to her?_ Even as she thought these words, Shizuru's evident interest compelled her to continue.

"Council? Sealed?" Sincerely fascinated, Shizuru leaned a little toward Natsuki as she asked. _That and you want to hear more of her voice, correct? _An annoying utterance chimed in from the back of her mind, causing Shizuru to knit her brows slightly, the softest shade of pink gracing her cheeks. She absently chewed her canines on her lips as their painful throbbing thumped back into life.

Kuga's eyes instantly lowered to Shizuru's lips as the human nibbled on them, causing them to redden to an inviting color. Emerald eyes darkened and Natsuki caught herself wondering how those lips felt, _What the hell, Kuga! She's a human!_ The biker turned her gaze away, hoping that would stop the weird pull she kept feeling. "Yeah, the Council," She started, trying to clear some of the haze out of her mind, "The Council are the five strongest demons, the rule makers and the leaders of fields they're assigned to. They're given a Helper, an assistant, someone they've known for a long time and trust with their life." A cocky grin made its appearance on Natsuki's face, "I'm the second Column, the second highest Council member under the Lord." She turned back to see the human's reaction.

Big mistake.

Natsuki's turning away caught Shizuru off guard, the feeling of being rejected clamping around Fujino's heart painful. Suddenly, she wanted, _demanded_ Natsuki's attention back on her; she wasn't herself anymore. Her body moved on its own, this new, assertive side of Shizuru in control. She shifted onto the cushion separating them both and stared down at the slightly shorter woman's cocky gaze, a shudder rolling through her body upon seeing it. Her breathing picked up, _I want…_ Her eyes clouded, _I want…_ She could feel herself losing control to this new, commanding side. _Look at me, Natsuki._

Kuga couldn't tear her gaze away, those dangerously dark red eyes were drawing her in like a magnet. Blood rushed past her ears as she heard the older woman's heart beat pick up, "Sealed…" Natsuki uttered absently, her mind taking in the woman in front of her. She learned forward subconsciously, her grip tightening on her pants leg as her fingers itched to play with brown tresses. "You…"

"I…?" Shizuru whispered back, leaning forward once more. She gently placed her hand on Natsuki's outer thigh for support, satisfied when she heard the demon's breath catch. She knew what she was doing was wrong, especially with a stranger, but Fujino couldn't resist. The images! What Shizuru wanted to do with this woman! _I can't… _She thought, even while inclining further, _I can't resist this._

Their glazed stares were still locked, even as their noses touched. "What're you doing to me?" Natsuki asked, her voice low and rough with desire. Never before had she felt such need for a woman. _To make me want in this way…_ Natsuki had always been the one sought after, and now suddenly some human walks into her life and she's drawn in like a moth to a flame? She felt Shizuru lean forward again in hopes of capturing her lips and she quickly moved her head back, their lips remaining a centimeter apart, _Since when does Kuga roll over and play submissive?_

A quiet, desperate, almost inaudible whimper escaped Shizuru's mouth when Kuga's lips retreated away from hers. She stared deeply into those dimmed, green eyes, "Natsuki." The demon's smell was intoxicating! Alcohol and cigarettes mixed together with an ever-present smell of evergreens, Kuga's scent was of both forest and city life, and Fujino wanted more. Shizuru's fingers pulsed just under their pads as she slowly moved her hands to grasp Natsuki's slender shoulders—

Shizuru blinked, snapping out of her trance, "No," She uttered, shaking her head. She released Kuga from her hold and started to back away, inwardly terrified at her own actions. She cleared her throat awkwardly, trying to regain any composure she had left, "I have a girlfriend and—"

Something clicked inside Kuga, her demonic side raging in jealousy. Her eyes narrowed and her teeth became bared in a growl,_ Girlfriend?_ The next thing either of them knew, Natsuki was hovering over Shizuru on the couch, the human's back pressed against the cushions with her wrists pinned above her. The demon watched the figure below her, watching conflicting emotions battle for dominance: lust, fear, anticipation, turmoil, and pleasure. Studying the woman's every move, hearing the human's every breath, Natsuki didn't know what was going through Shizuru's mind, but she knew all too well what was going through her own: anger, confusion, _want_.

Natsuki bent down and pressed her lips lightly against the brunette's ear, holding her own shiver back when the taller woman's body quaked pleasantly underneath hers, "I'll make you forget you have a girlfriend." Their mouths met.

Shizuru lost all self-control.

She let a long, satisfied moan, falling back into the dark abyss of her ever-growing need as she felt Natsuki's tongue slide against hers. She felt released, freed, only to be chained back up to her want for more. One hand drifted through silky black locks while the other skirted up Kuga's shirt to tease her sense of touch with Natsuki's lean stomach. She sucked the intruding tongue, only to cry out again when it accidentally brushed one of her top canines. Crying out, she saw bright flashes of white behind her eyelids and shuddered, disappointed when it only lasted a second.

She opened her eyes to see Kuga giving her a puzzled, cautious look. "I'm fine, Natsuki," She's didn't know what she was saying, the words spilled from her mouth, but she continued when it seemed to soothe the demon's nerves, "Truly, Natsuki." She flashed a smile, "Would you do that again?"

Their mouths joined together once more, but then time it was surprisingly subdued. Natsuki slipped her tongue in and brushed against the canine, gaining a much quieter, but no less satisfying groan from the woman underneath her. There was no complaining from either side when Shizuru pulled away to nibble the throbbing pulse on Natsuki's neck.

"N-Natsuki," Shizuru started, only knowing Natsuki was listening when the biker's hands stopped lifting Shizuru's shirt. "My-my lower back," Shizuru's normally lilting accent came out heavy with need, "Massage my lower back." Her whole body ached twice as much as before, but it was her back that _begged_ for attention.

"What?" Natsuki's scattered mind started to come back at Shizuru's request. _Massage her back?_

Shizuru brought one of her hands to cup Natsuki's cheek, "Please?" She implored. Her hand went a little too far and caressed Natsuki's ear, making the demon shiver and moan quietly as the pleasurable sensation shot up her sensitive ears. Noticing this, the brunette leaned up and little and gingerly licked the shell, gaining a louder moan in response, "Please?" She asked again, her quiet breath tickling the moist ear.

Instead of responding with words, the shorter woman let her hands follow a path to the small of Shizuru's back and lightly pressed a fresh black-and-blue mark that had formed. "Ah!" The human's back arched from the touch and continuously bucked when Kuga's fingers lightly rubbed the bruise mark. Her center throbbed wildly at the constant attention.

"Yes! Yes!" The brunette panted out under the eager caresses. But it wasn't enough, she thought, she needed more.

Shizuru clutched Natsuki's hips and roughly ground her clothed sex against the demon's thigh, pounding her clit against deliciously toned muscle. the fire churning in her body stirred larger and larger with every stroke. Shizuru clawed at Kuga's leather-covered back, desperate to feel some skin.

The demon took advantage of Shizuru's exposed neck as she continued to massage, enjoying the labored cries as Shizuru climbed higher still. Upon reaching her peak, Natsuki jabbed into the sensitive mark and Shizuru screamed out the biker's name, finally tipping over the edge, "_Natsuki!_"

* * *

Hours later, both Natsuki and Shizuru were still on the couch in the living room, but only Natsuki was still awake. Shizuru slept peacefully while laying across of the length of Natsuki's bare form, both of them covered only by Natsuki's long, leather trench coat.

_Nao…_

A white and blue swirling vortex suddenly appeared nearby, diameter five feet across. Soon enough, a small redhead slowly hovered through, looking thoroughly pissed off and tired, "What, are you two done? No round six?" Yuuki remarked irritably and the portal disappeared behind her. Nao's bedroom was right up the stairs so she could hear Natsuki and Shizuru's various bedtime activities, even with the door closed.

A Helper could create a portal connecting them to their Charge for whenever they were needed; it was a really convenient bonus to the job, but it only worked when both of them were in the same dimension. Same rules applied to their telepathy.

Natsuki smirked, flashing one of her rare, easy smiles to the person she considered her closest friend, "Jealous?"

The imp frowned, "In your dreams, Kuga." She successfully fought off the tiny blush that threatened to appeared on her cheeks. The two had indeed, on occasion, slept together, but it didn't mean anything.

"You wish," The biker replied back without missing a beat. They were both talking quietly, Natsuki not wanting to wake Shizuru and Nao subconsciously following along. "Speaking of which, you haven't bragged about having sex with some hot guy or girl for a while now." _About three months if I had to guess…_

Nao shrugged, "So I haven't felt like it. Some of us aren't as sought after as you," She responded with a pointed look. "I've yet to figure out how you can be so detached and cold and yet still have as many people as you do wanting in your pants."

Natsuki would have shrugged in reply had the human not been resting her head on Kuga's shoulders. If Natsuki had to guess, she speculated that people were either attracted to said disposition (the mysterious Second Column who wouldn't let people close emotionally), her status (being the Second Column of the Demonic Council meant she was the second strongest demon around, with the second highest pay), or they were attracted to her looks (something she took pride in taking care of.) Any combination would do.

"Anyway, I called you here to tell you we're bringing Shizuru to the Council Building tomorrow so she can safely be transported back to the Human Realm. I also want to suggest finding a way to keep this from happening again," The black-haired demon added.

Nao sent her Charge a scathing stare, still hovering two feet above the ground in her nightgown, "You know, we wouldn't have to go through all this trouble if you would just _eat. her._" The horned demon thumbed over to the brunette to emphasis her point.

Natsuki sent Yuuki a menacing glare, her eyes starting to glow a dull green and her sharp canines visible, "_No one_ is eating her," She rumbled out from the back of her throat, her aura almost tangible.

Nao backed away a good few feet at this point, her hands held up in a sign of peace. Natsuki, for all her famed cool, had a notoriously short temper (not nearly as short as the Demon Lord's, but short enough) whose origins, people guessed, were from her childhood. Natsuki never disclosed information about herself openly, so no one knew.

Shizuru, in response to the rumble, had shifted a little in her sleep. Her nose nuzzled against Natsuki's neck and the human let out a quiet purr of content.

Natsuki had calmed down at this point and was now staring at the Fujino's sleeping face, her own expression not giving away anything that she was thinking, _No one will eat her… _She lightly scowled. Why did she care? Humans were food, and that was that. Shizuru was suppose to be dinner, served on fine china and enjoyed with a good bottle of beer or glass of wine. _But she's not._ And that's what confused Kuga more than anything. _I don't want her to be harmed, but I can't understand why._

The more the Second Column thought about it, the more puzzled she became. _Enough,_ she finally told herself, lightly shaking her head, _she'll be gone tomorrow and you won't have to think about it anymore._ "That's all I wanted to say," Natsuki finally supplied when she noticed the questioning look Nao was giving her.

The redhead scowled for the third time, "And this couldn't have waited until morning because…?"

Kuga sent her best friend another cocky, knowing look, "You were awake anyway, right?"

"Screw you, Kuga," The redhead deadpanned. The imp turned around in her hover and made her way for the stairs, only to be halted by Kuga's, 'wait.' The smaller of the two turned around, "_What?_" She responded crankily. One could only take so much at three in the morning…

"Are humans sensitive in their lower backs?" Natsuki asked awkwardly, a peculiar expression on her face.

Nao slowly raised an eyebrow at the weird question, "I wouldn't know, I don't sleep with my food," The imp replied, sending a small jab at Natsuki with her words.

Natsuki let it slip, "I was just wondering because she has a black and blue mark there and instead of it hurting when I pressed, she became aroused." The biker furrowed her brows thoughtfully, "I know tailed demons are sensitive there but—"

"Ugh, _really_?" Yuuki gave her Charge an exasperated look, "Your tail fetish gets extremely annoying at times." Her own red tail swished behind her a little faster than normal, openly expressing her aggravation. Before Natsuki had a chance to reply, the imp was already heading towards the hallway, "Don't wake me up before nine." She disappeared from sight.

Natsuki turned back to the sleeping figure laying on top of her body. She contemplated moving them both upstairs but decided against it. The Second Column laid her head back down on the couch pillow and soon she too was fast asleep.

* * *

The Council Building was big, excessively so. Even the wooden double-doors leading into the building were daunting and Shizuru was surprised to find that the stone structure had no second floor, despite how it was clearly three stories high when looking at it from the outside. There was just one huge hallway leading down as far as the eye could see, thick columns lined up on either side of an expensive looking red carpet. The walkway was lit by a torch mounted on each pillar along with chandeliers dangled equally apart from one another overhead. Between each column, normal-sized doors could be found, no doubt leading to the other sections of the Demonic Realm's "city hall."

Natsuki, Nao and Shizuru just kept walking straight, all the way down.

There were others in the hallway, either chatting amongst colleagues or walking toward their own destination. When the trio passed by, however, they all stopped to stare. _Mainly at me,_ Shizuru noted with some unease, knowing full well she could be on the lunch menu if she was not careful. She discreetly walked a little closer to the Second Column as they continued on their journey.

They made it to the other side after walking for about eight minutes, ignoring all the stares and murmurs surrounding them (or at least trying to in Fujino's case.) In front of them stood wooden double-doors identical to the one leading inside the building, only this one had a smaller, much more practical door cut out for easier access. They walked through.

Décor-wise, the room inside wasn't that different from the hallway preceding it, but it did have one single, splendid chandelier hanging above, large enough to illuminate the whole room. This was the Council's Meeting Room as well as the Demon Lord's personal office. Inside the room were three desks, one noticeably bigger than the others, and a total of seven chairs, again with one noticeably bigger than the others. That was it; the rest of it was just a vast amount of empty space. There was a small, almost unnoticeable door at the far reaches of the room.

Immediately in front of the trio were two people sitting behind work desks, this made apparent by the paperwork and computers set up on top of them. Behind these two were the rest of the chairs gathered around a table; it was all comically small for the size of the room it occupied.

The three made their way toward the other two sitting behind their desks. "Suzushiro," Natsuki said in greeting.

Both of the other demons lifted their heads in response, but it was the older of the two that responded. Her words came out heatedly, "Kuga! Where the hell were you last night? We had a meeting!" Her voice boomed, resonating about the four walls of the room.

Haruka Suzushiro was tall and blonde, her purple eyes outlined by eye shadow of the same color; two twin ram horns curled along the side of her head, the only obvious feature that separated her from a normal human (unless you counted her sheer _presence_ which clearly exceeded that of a normal human being's.) Her build was toned, but not overly so, and it looked natural on her. She wore a simple white blouse and black dress pants, simple but professional. This was the Demon Lord.

The black-haired woman swallowed her sarcastic comeback, knowing it'd just get her another earful. _And my ears are already smarting enough._ It took all of Kuga's self-restrain not to wince every time Haruka hollered in her general direction. "I couldn't make it. Something else came up," Was all she offered.

"'Couldn't make it'? You're on the _Demonic Council!_" Haruka slammed her fist down onto the table to emphasize her annoyance and everything that wasn't bolted to the floor jump a good two feet, people included. "Have some sense of reliability for your job!" She continued as the others started to get up, too lost in her rant to notice they had fallen. If you thought her actions were a bit "ogreish," then you'd be right! She was an ogre.

Shizuru, who was in the middle of brushing off her shirt, paused, _'Reliability?'_

"'Responsibility,' Haruka-chan," Came a mousey response; rather ironic when coming from someone with brown cat ears and a matching tail. She was Yukino Suzushiro, wife and Helper of the Demon Lord.

She was quite a few inches shorter than her wife, and of much frailer build. She looked to be the bookworm type, complete with bifocals in front of her green, cat-slit eyes and softer disposition. She had short, brown hair with a pair of cat ears sticking up. Her attire looked much more business-y: she wore a dark blouse under her faded-blue business jacket and a formal skirt of the same color to match; she had on half-inch heeled, black slippers.

"Responsibility. That's what I said."

Yukino didn't reply back, but instead turned to the unfamiliar member of the group, "Kuga-sama? Could you introduce us to your colleague?" She asked the elf. Kuga's associate smelled suspiciously like a…

"Hm? Oh, yeah," Natsuki stepped aside so Shizuru was visible to everyone else in the room, "This is Fujino Shizuru." Said person bowed in greeting. Kuga's stance subconsciously switched into passive-defensive as she said her next words, "She's a human." She waited for the response.

The air ran cold during the long, heavy pause.

"… Why is there a human in my Realm?" The Demon Lord's response came quietly, through a tight jaw, almost as if suppressing an inevitable roar. Violet eyes moved back and forth between the Second Column's stare and the human's. "Why is she alive, not chopped up and served on a silver platter?"

Fujino inwardly cringed at the imagery, a not so pleasant chill running up her spine. She quickly hid any discomfort, however, under a mask that revealed nothing. Her legs stiffened and she got ready to bolt if needed. She didn't need to be overly observant to see the impatience forming in Haruka's eyes, her aura subtly growing more and more intimidating by the second.

Natsuki took a step forward, green solidly staring right into purple, "No one's eating her." Natsuki reached her hand into her coat and grasped the familiar, chilled metal in her palm. Her mind relaxed when she held one of her twin handguns, her chrome, custom made .500 caliber handgun; it was always a calming feeling for the gunner, and it cleared her mind, helping her focus. (She could easily take the pistol's recoil, but the "bang" made her wince if she didn't have protection on.)

Haruka noticed Natsuki's hand slip into her coat, and knew the biker well enough to know that's where she kept her various handguns and clips. She raised an eyebrow, dubious, "You would draw your gun against the Demon Lord over a _human_? I could kill you if you dared appose me," She said, her voice dead serious.

This made Natsuki freeze, _Am I really about to draw my gun against Suzushiro? For what? A human? _She then frowned, pushing the thoughts aside, refusing to think about it. "Look," The biker snapped a little more harshly than she intended, "That's what I'm here for, to suggest how get rid of the problem."

She didn't notice Shizuru flinch beside her at the word 'problem,' a wounded expression crossing her features for a couple seconds as the word sunk in. _So that's what Natsuki sees me as: a problem._ She gave small, humorless smile, _Well, of course she sees you that way, Shizuru. You stalked her down for no good reason, lodged in her home to escape from becoming demon chow and had sex with her barely ten minutes after stepping through her door._ Her heart tightened painfully and her hand moved to grasp the fabric of her shirt resting over the wildly beating organ.

_Were you really naïve enough to think that she wanted to get to know you? That she felt the same connection with you that you feel for her? _Her hand dropped limply to her side, the constricting feeling replaced by a sense of emptiness that was no less painful, _She's a demon and you're a human, Shizuru. She probably just wants you out of her hair, and out of her life._

Shizuru whimpered quietly, unable to hold it back any longer, _It hurts, Natsuki…_

Natsuki's hearing caught the whimper and the biker turned to find—_Shizuru?_ She took a step toward the human, her body acting all on its own, only to pause in the middle of the second step when Haruka spoke up.

"Alright, I'll make preparations to bring her back to the Human Realm," The Demon Lord replied after contemplation. _The last thing this city needs is the two top demons duking it out over a petty dispute._ Haruka was a 'duty before self' kind of person, always thinking with the city's best interest in mind.

Natsuki nodded, then turned back to Shizuru. Before she could voice her thoughts, however, Yukino addressed the human with a question: "Are you okay, Fujino-san?" She asked, having seen Shizuru grasping at her shirt earlier.

Shizuru looked up, snatched from her musings to find everyone else in the room gazing at her. A placid smile formed on her face, attempting to cover up her distress, "Yes, I'm fine now."

A brief flash of anxiety crossed the shorter Suzushiro's face, but it was gone as quickly as it came. "Ah, I see. That's good to hear," She responded. There was an awkward pause before the cat-woman, specifically a _werecat_, spoke up again, "Have you been in any other pain recently?"

"Off and on, yes…" Shizuru trailed off, her guard coming up in her growing unease. She didn't like the analyzing look those slit eyes were giving her.

The bifocal woman furrowed her brows a little in what appeared to be concern, "And for how long would you say?" She was starting to look troubled, fidgeting a little with the hem of her jacket.

"Within the past day or so." _Since I've been in this city, to be more precise. Is there a connection?_

Cat eyes met with purple for a split second before joining back with red. Yukino smiled sympathetically, "Well, I hope you feel better soon, Fujino-san."

"Ara, as do I. Ookini for your concern," Shizuru smiled back. It looked fake in Natsuki's eyes but it seemed to fool the werecat.

"Is that all you wanted to talk about?" Haruka asked, everyone's attention turning to her when she spoke. She sat behind her desk, her hands folded across her lap.

"Yes, thank you," Natsuki made to turn back toward the large double doors. She paused and grinned over her shoulder, "I owe you one, Suzushiro." The trio were off.

The Demon Lord grunted in response, "Damn right you do." The blonde leaned back and crossed one of her calves over her other thigh, smirking. Her smile disappeared as she watched them leave, closing the door behind them. She waited until she knew she was out of Kuga's hearing range before turning to a clearly anxious Yukino, "Call for Okuzaki. I'm sure you know why."

Her wife hastily nodded and walked back to her own desk, pushing a call button on her phone after pushing a series of numbers, "This is Suzushiro Yukino, I have a direct order from the Demon Lord for Okuzaki. Send her down immediate— Wha!"

"You called, My Lord?" Akira Okuzaki was kneeling in front of the Demon Lord's desk, awaiting her orders. Her hair was dark green and she had sharp, light brown eyes. The teenager was dressed in dark, concealing clothes, perfect for the tasks she was usually sent out for: almost anything involving stealth. The Okuzaki clan was made up of ninjas, werefrogs trained to mainly serve under the Fifth Column, but also the other Columns under request.

"There's a human who just exited this room, Fujino Shizuru. I want you to trek her without being noticed. Report if anything out of the ordinary happens. Harada and Senou will report in to assist you at a later time."

"'Track,' Haruka-chan."

"Yes, My Lord." And the young girl was gone without a trace.

Haruka sighed, bringing her hand to her temple and closing her eyes. She massaged where she felt a headache starting to form, "I hope the rumors aren't true…" She remarked quietly. She felt a light pressure on her shoulder and opened her eyes in response. The blonde looked over to see her wife softly squeezing her shoulder encouragingly and couldn't help but crack a small smile at the gesture.

"I hope so too, Haruka-chan. I hope so too."

_To Be Continued._

* * *

Ooh~ What're those rumors? I guess you'll have to read the rest to find out. =P Also, more characters are popping up with roles, but those will mostly come into play in the next arc.

If you like what you've read, or see something I can improve on, please leave a review with any questions or comments you might have. =)

* * *

Imp (Nao)

**Group:** Winged

**Type:** N/A

**Features:** Have small wings and an arrow-tipped tail, both matching the demon's hair color; Have small horns

**Characteristics:** Servant-class; Love to play tricks and are prone to disobedience; Often use their tail with quick slashes as their only form of natural weapon


	4. Chapter 4

Beta'd by: **RevalisPyross** and "Starch"

So we're up to chapter four! Shizuru is a bit OOC in this chapter, but it's necessary as you'll soon read.

... I honestly have nothing else to say in this author's note, so I'll end it with this: read on, dear readers! Read on!

* * *

Staring at Shizuru's back, Natsuki had to keep from fidgeting in the awkward silence that had settled between them since they left the Council Building. They were currently standing in Natsuki's bedroom, a few hours after the meeting; it was dark outside, signaling that it was at least seven at night. The persistent quiet was unnerving the demon, so she coughed into her hand and spoke, trying to strike up a conversation, "You can borrow another set of my clothes. They might be a bit small on you, but…" She trailed off uncomfortably.

Earlier that day, Shizuru found out that demons don't only eat humans, that people were just one of their delicacies. They could eat both vegetation and animals, just as the trio had for lunch. Nao complained about not having human for at least a week, but one look from Kuga silenced her.

"Ookini, Natsuki-san," Shizuru's voice was agreeable enough, but there was an obvious a message in her words: 'I do not feel like talking.' The taller of the two continued to face the window, looking outside into the cityscape from Kuga's room.

'_-san?'_ Natsuki inwardly cringed. Shizuru's words and smiles were friendly, but the aura surrounding her body was anything but. _Is she angry?_ The biker took a step forward and lifted her hand toward Shizuru's shoulder. She was stopped by Nao's voice:

"_Oi! Kuga! Your favorite show is on! The one with all those hot female gunners!_" Yuuki bellowed from the first floor. Kuga didn't move.

"Well? Aren't you going?" Neither Shizuru's tone, nor demeanor had changed, but Natsuki could still sense a hint of malice, "You'll miss your show if you don't."

The elf frowned at Shizuru's words. The hand that was originally going to be used to comfort the brunette tightly curled at Natsuki's side instead, "Yeah, I'm going." She, unlike Shizuru, didn't try to hide the spite in her voice, "I'm sure you can help yourself to whatever you need." She watched as the human's back went rigid and tense.

"I'm quite sure I can, thank you," Fujino's words came out severely, "I wouldn't want to _burden_ you with my presence."

Natsuki glared, her anger flaring up, "Good, because I wouldn't want yet another problem on my hands." She slammed the door shut behind her on the way out. As she stalked away in quiet fury, she didn't hear Shizuru's breath hitch painfully at the word 'problem'.

Natsuki swiftly glided down the steps, her irises giving off a dim green glow in reflection to her sour mood. She quickly rounded into the living room and plopped down onto the couch, silently seething. She leaned back and crossed one leg over the other while glaring at the television screen, unaware of the curious glances her Helper was giving her.

"Hey Kuga, you alright?" The redhead asked cautiously, scooting a bit closer to her armrest. And why shouldn't she be wary? The aura Natsuki was giving off would be enough to frighten any sensible demon away. The only reason Nao wasn't zipping into another room as fast as her tiny wings would take her was because she knew Kuga wouldn't purposely hurt her; they've been together since as far back as she could remember.

"_Peachy_," Came the hissed reply.

"Seriously, what's up?" The horned demon asked, only just able to keep from flinching when she watched Kuga's ears start to extend back in length. _She wasn't this ticked off when we arrived home. Something must've happened upstairs._ Yuuki knew that if she didn't calm Natsuki down, the Second Column's power would find a slip in Kuga's concentration and destroy something. _Probably this neighborhood, and that would just piss Kuga off even more…_

"It's Shizuru. She won't tell me why she's angry!" Natsuki's lips pulled back in a snarl, showing her large canines; her face was slowly contorting into something more menacing, her elven features not as enchanting as the human stories made them out to be. Natsuki's face only contorted when her aura was building in power.

_Shit._ The younger demon could start to _feel_ the power emanating from her Charge. It wasn't visible yet though, so that was a good sign. "I don't mean to be rude but," Nao was very aware that she was treading on thin ice, "I'm not quite sure I understand why you even _care_." A look of shock quickly prevailed over Natsuki's anger, appearing as if she was just slapped across the face. The dangerous aura completely dissipated in a flash and Kuga's face went back to normal.

The imp, seeing this, relaxed her posture, "I mean, I still don't get why she's still alive, but whatever. Doesn't matter." She was speaking in a nonchalant manner now that the threat was gone, "She'll be gone tomorrow and we can go back to the way things were, right?" She wouldn't show it, but Nao was worried for her friend.

After a couple seconds, Natsuki noticed her Helper was waiting for a reply and flashed her a quick, forced smile, "Right." Nao slowly raised an eyebrow in response, clearly not convinced with what was obviously a fake grin. "Really, I'm fine," The biker smirked, "What, are you actually concerned for me, Nao?"

Nao smirked right back in response before scoffing, "As if."

They both turned back to the TV program, and while one was content, the other couldn't be farther from it. Try as she might, whenever Natsuki attempted to focus on her favorite television program, her mind drifted back to the human. _Why did she whimper before?_ The black-haired demon questioned, _Was she scared? And why is she angry now? _Kuga's brow furrowed a little, her stare distant as her mind continued to mull over these thoughts and more.

* * *

Shizuru had already changed into a pair of pajamas she found when looking through Natsuki's drawers; she used an extra toothbrush she found in the master bathroom, wincing each time she brushed across her overly sensitive canines. _I'm really think I should see a dentist when I get back, _The brunette thought, walking back out into Natsuki's bedroom.

"When I get back…" A lonely feeling fell upon the human and covered her like a blanket. _No, not this again. Please. _She was tired of feeling lonely, of being confused. _I just want go home, away from all these demons._ Monsters that wouldn't think twice about devouring her flesh or eating her soul.

And yet, Fujino found a large part of herself being pulled toward the door, wanting to run down the steps and envelope the black-haired Column in a tight hug; wanting to tenderly kiss Natsuki's lips and ask her for forgiveness; wanting to feel that smooth, creamy neck in loving, chaste kisses and run her fingers through long, dark locks— _Stop it! _Where were all these thoughts coming from? She wasn't like this! Why was she acting this way?

Red eyes squeezed shut while Shizuru shook her head, attempting to rid her mind of the inviting images, only to find that they wouldn't leave. Over and under her, pictures of that slender body invaded her thoughts. Her fingertips pulsed, her skin was set aflame, her breathing came harder and her mind reeled, "_Stop it!_"

… _What is that?_

… _This scent._ It soothed her to her very core. It surrounded her body from all around her, calming her mind. Shizuru lifted her nose a little and sniffed, scenting the air around her, _This is Natsuki's scent._ How is it that Kuga's smell could comfort her so? Was she not angry at the demon mere minutes ago?

Shizuru sniffed again, her bare feet slowly leading her to Natsuki's bed on their own. She bent down, drawn to the source of the scent, Natsuki's pillow. She hovered her nose over the pillow and lightly sniffed a couple times, shivering pleasantly when Kuga's smell was the only thing she could pick up. It called her closer with its enticing aroma and she obeyed, gently laying her face on the demon's pillow and climbing under the covers.

_Natsuki will get angry with me for being in her bed._ Still, Shizuru couldn't bring herself to be bothered. She rested her face on top of the pillow and drew it closer with her arms, basking in the fragrance that was distinctly Natsuki's. Shizuru knew without a doubt that she could never get enough of this smell. She felt all her muscles relax as she nuzzled into the pillow, the covers enfolding her in their embrace. It made her recall last night, being hugged in those strong, yet gentle arms when they were done with love making.

Fujino remembered the events from the previous night as she shifted under the covers. The images came back but this time, Shizuru wasn't bothered. She smiled, purring contently as she recalled those soft hands roaming her body, feeling and claiming every inch of skin it could find. That knowledgeable tongue knew exactly where Shizuru wanted it to be and exactly what to do to make her scream out in pleasure.

However, Shizuru's indulging smile soon turned into a playful smirk as remembered her favorite part: all the times she got to pay Natsuki back. Groping every mound of skin she could find, from those soft breasts to Natsuki's tight behind, Shizuru had made sure to explore all there was to explore. Kuga's taste, as intoxicating as her smell, filled her up, making her mind beg for more. Her tongue pumped in and out of Natsuki's core, massaging that firm rear and fondling that sensitive bundle of nerves all the while, indulging in every sweet release Natsuki made.

Shizuru moaned quietly at the memory, rolling her tongue over the roof of her mouth; she could almost taste Natsuki's essence right now.

… _Wait…_ Crimson eyes opened, Shizuru's eyebrows slanted downward in a bemused frown as she rolled her tongue over the roof of her mouth once more. _I…_ Shizuru's eyes dilated and she shot up into a sitting position, bringing a hand to her lips,_ I _can_ taste her!_

Shizuru sniffed the air and found Natsuki's scent to be much stronger than before, a small amount of arousal could be felt on Shizuru's lips and the human ran her tongue overly them subconsciously. There was also another smell in the air, this one smelling a bit like burning wood, _Yuuki-san…?_ The brunette closed her eyes and poked her tongue out to see what taste she could catch next— _What am I doing?_ Fujino was taken aback by her own actions. _Tasting arousal in the air?_

"_Shizuru-sama…_" A voice entered Shizuru's mind that sounded exactly like her own.

Shizuru jumped at the voice and looked around, "Who's there?" She called out, just barely able to mask her alarm. She hastily moved out from under the covers and got up, searching this way and that for the source of the voice, once more ready to run at any time. Her survival instincts were kicking in a lot lately and she was starting to hate feeling like helpless prey.

"_You… you can hear me?_" Her own accented voice echoed back in her head, quiet and astonished.

"Who are you, and what do you want with me?" Shizuru asked, slowly padding her way toward the door leading into the hallway. She slowly reached for the door-handle, all the while keeping an eye out for anything that might try to eat her. _Don't tell me there are demons out there that can read minds._

"_Shizuru-sama, you don't know how much I've yearned to talk to you…_" The voice trailed off, as if considering something, then seemed to think better of it and started a new train of thought: "_As for myself, it is not a question of who, but what I am. I am… your Id, for lack of better word._" It wasn't exactly what this voice was, but it was the closest analogy it could come up with for its existence.

"Freudian studies?" Shizuru asked, humoring the voice as she stepped into the hallway. She did not believe a word this… "Id" was saying. "You'll have to excuse me when I say I am not one-hundred percent convinced," She added with a humorless smile.

"_I am not offended that you don't believe me. In fact, if I were in your shoes, I would be just as skeptical._" The voice chuckled and Shizuru shuddered at how much it sounded like her own, "_You see, Shizuru-sama, my purpose is to make you happy. Making you happy is my one joy in life._" What unnerved Shizuru the most about that confession was how sincere it sounded.

"Right now, what woul—"

"_Shh. There is no need for spoken words. I can hear your thoughts just fine._"

… _Right now,_ Shizuru started again, her tone one of strained patience, _what would make me happiest is if you were to get out of my head._

Instead of the upset response Shizuru was expecting, she was surprised to be met with light-hearted giggling, "_Ara ara, so cold,_" The voice teased. "_But no, I know what would make Shizuru-sama happiest, what she really wants. She should be happy that I'm here to speed up the process._"

Shizuru suddenly became _aware_ of all there was to smell. That lingering scent of the two demons downstairs suddenly overpowered her nose and she immediately covered it, "?" Her teeth throbbed in excruciating pain, causing her to whimper; her nostrils flared, catching scents and smells she couldn't recognize or associate- it was too much!

The voice broke through, piercing the pain, "_Focus on one single scent, Shizuru-sama!_"

She did so, shuffling through all the different smells to find the one she's grown to adore, "_Natsuki._" The aroma was powerful, consuming, and it sent shivers up the human's spine. She whiffed and it traveled through her nose and into her partially opened mouth, landing on her eager tongue. _What is this?_ She thought distantly, already enraptured by the appetizing scent. _I-I want…_

"_Yes?_" The voice asked right next to her ear, sultry and full of need. "_What is it you want to do?_"

What _didn't_ she want to do! "Un…" Her red eyes were dim and her breathing was heavy. Scene after scene appeared in Shizuru's mind, each more tempting than the last. She wanted to have Natsuki over and over until they both collapsed, too exhausted to move. "Natsu…" As she became more aroused, she was finding it harder not fall to her knees and pleasure herself right there; her sex pulsed madly for attention.

"Shizuru?" Natsuki was standing in the downstairs hallway, looking up the steps to where she could hear the human just out of sight. She had heard the human's voice before due to her acute hearing and had become concerned, causing her to get up and head for the stairs. She stopped dead in her tracks, however, when she heard the brunette moan wantonly, jumpstarting her libido. Natsuki started up the steps, albeit hesitantly.

"_Shizuru-sama, you're doing wonderfully,_" The voice praised. "_Now, when Kuga-san reaches the second floor, take her right there. With this, you can finally change into what body is fully prepared to become: a demon, a _succubus!"

**That** snapped Shizuru back to reality. "'_Demon_'?" She watched as Natsuki made it to the final step, looking both confused and alarmed, "I don't want to become a demon!"

Shizuru ran. She ran past Natsuki, ran up to the door and ran outside. _I don't want to become a demon!_ Her legs continued to carry her along the sidewalk's path, her strides long and powerful, as if she had springs in her legs. She sailed farther than she ever had before in a single sprint, her limbs pumping faster than a human's legs should ever be able to go. She didn't care though. She thought that maybe, just maybe, if she ran far enough, the voice in her head would go away.

Soon enough, Shizuru collapsed in a dark alleyway, mentally and physically exhausted. The brunette didn't know where she was or how many blocks flew by as she ran, but she was away from that overwhelming scent and hopefully that voice along with it. She slowly moved her body to lean up against one of the walls that made up the alley, pulling her legs to her torso and hugging them close with her arms.

"…" Shizuru felt warmth surrounded her fatigued body, but was too tired to do anything about it. Before she could contemplate it, however, soft humming played near her ear, slowly lulling the human into sleep. All was silent for a while before the Id spoke up once again, her voice falling on deaf ears, "_Kannin na, Shizuru-sama…_"

~*X*~

"Shizuru!" Natsuki tried to grab the human's forearm as she zoomed past, but Fujino was just too quick. Without thinking about it, Kuga took off after her, running as fast as her legs would allow, but quickly lost sight of the brunette outside. After coming to a full stop, she closed her eyes and tried to focus her hearing on Shizuru's rhythmic steps, but to no avail; the streets were littered with people at this time of night, all the nocturnal demons enjoying what they called their morning. There were just too many sounds surrounding her to be able to pinpoint just one, "Dammit!"

"Kuga! There you are!" Nao flew into view, hovering next to her Charge. She took in Kuga's tense form, "What happened?"

"Shizuru yelled something about demons and ran off. Now I can't find her," Natsuki's bright green eyes hurriedly darted this way and that, her feet itching to take off once more.

Yuuki raised a red brow, "What, did the culture shock finally kick in?" She quipped with a smirk. Kuga sent her another one of her infamous glares and the winged demon flinched, "H-hey, I was just kidding…" Nao's expression quickly turned into a scowl as Kuga's changed to neutral, "You've been acting weird ever since that human showed up."

"…" Upon reflection, Natsuki realized she was indeed acting weird, over a human no less. _But to me, she's not 'just a human.' What is Shizuru then?— There's no time for that right now._ She pushed those thoughts aside for now and forced herself to relax, going back to the topic at hand. Kuga turned back to the imp, "You're right, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." A small smile formed on her face, "Forgive me?"

The Helper studied Natsuki for a few moments before relaxing, replying with a grin of her own, "Yeah yeah, whatever." She said, waving her off. Natsuki and Nao were like family to each other, so one little confrontation like this meant nothing. "I get it, you're worried about your lady friend," The tailed demon turned around and started to flutter back toward their residence.

_Lady frie…_ Natsuki blinked, "She's not my girlf—"

"I'll be at the house. Be sure to lock up when you two get back." Nao, not hearing Natsuki, flew out of sight.

"Girlfriend…?" Natsuki blushed before shaking her head,_ Now's not the time to think about that. _She took off down the sidewalk once again, looking for the runaway human.

* * *

Akira was pressed onto a wall in an alleyway parallel to the one Shizuru collapsed in. Her werefrog hands made it possible to stick to any surface, something that came in handy for stealth missions. She kept a vigilant eye on Fujino's figure, watching her every move for anything suspicious. _This whole night has been one huge suspicion,_ She thought dourly, recalling what she saw in the Kuga-Yuuki household.

When Shizuru dashed down the street, Akira had _only just_ been able to keep up, jumping from building to building with her powerful hops. She should have easily been able to keep up with something as slow as a human, but found herself struggling to maintain her view on Fujino as she pursued her target. _Definitely 'out of the ordinary.'_ Keeping one hand and her bare feet on the wall, she brought her right hand to her ear, opening a channel to Chie and Aoi, "This is Shadow Frog."

"_Copy that, Shadow Frog, we read you._" There was a pause. "_Do we really need these silly code names? I know for a fact that this channel is secure._" Chie Harada's voice came from the other end. She was the first of two members in Haruka's intelligence team. Of course, there were plenty of more members, but Chie and Aoi were the ones 'on call.'

Chie Harada was a brown-eyed werefox with charcoal-gray ears, to match her hair, and a white-tipped fox tail. Her clothes would be described, but Akira guessed the werefox currently wasn't wearing anything besides glasses and a headset. Both Chie and Aoi worked from their house, and that in itself explained Okuzaki's reasoning. (Everyone knew how sexually active the intelligence pairing was.)

"_I think the Boss would rather we kept to the codenames, 'Foxfire,'_" Aoi Senou's voice was slightly distant, suggesting that she wasn't wearing a headset but instead was working at her research computer. She had long brown hair and bright blue eyes; the only thing setting her apart from a normal human being were the small, glossy purple/blue fins she had instead of ears, a tell tale sign that she was a mermaid.

"_Alright then, 'Aqua Fin,'_" Chie responded, earning an amused giggle from her girlfriend.

"…" Akira carried on, not commenting on the couple's playful banter, "The Demon Lord was right, something is definitely off about that human. Her behavior is abnormal, as is her physical ability. She was also yelling about not wanting to become a demon."

A heavy silence came from the other side before Chie buzzed in a minute or so later, "_I sent Suzushiro-sama your report._" Okuzaki noted how taut the werefox's voice had become. "_She says you are to eliminate the human._"

"Understood," Akira dropped her finger from her headset and moved her hand into a small satchel she kept on her belt, all the while keeping her eye on the slumbering human. She narrowed her gaze as she took out a single kunai, judging the distance whilst aiming.

Before the werefrog could throw her weapon, however, a figure walked into view, causing her to freeze. As quietly as she could, she maneuvered farther into her own alleyway, praying Natsuki's elven ears wouldn't pick up on any sounds. Further inside, she watched the scene from across the street, a frown marring her usually neutral expression. She brought her hand to the headset once again, still holding the kunai just in case, and spoke quietly, "Aborting mission."

"_What's wrong, Shadow Frog?_" Harada's alarmed voice came through Akira's earpiece.

"Kuga Natsuki of the Demonic Council has entered the scene. Chance of success has dropped into the thousandths decimal."

A small pause, "_Alright. Abort mission. I'll inform the Boss._"

"Copy that." The ninja dropped her hand from her ear and brought it to the wall, focusing on silently getting out of there. The young assassin turned and made her escape unharmed.

While Akira may have gotten away unharmed, she was definitely seen. Natsuki watched the werefrog vanish around the corner, taking in the young girl's form before she disappeared from sight. _That was Akira Okuzaki,_ Kuga observed, narrowing her eyes in concern, _The Okuzakis are one of the clans directly under the Demon Lord's hire!_ Natsuki's fists clenched tightly at her side, _That bitch lied to me!_

_But why would they want to kill Shizuru? It makes no sense! _Natsuki racked her brain for an answer_. Are they worried Shizuru will go around telling people what she saw here? That's stupid- even if she does, none of the humans would honestly believe it. So why? _Natsuki's eyes turned to look at the source of the conflict, _Doesn't matter. I'll get Shizuru back to the Human Realm tomorrow no matter what stands in my way._

_I'll have to pick up some more ammo later,_ The Second Column noted as she walked over and picked up the snoozing woman, carrying her out of the alleyway bridal style. Natsuki paused when she noticed something and looked down to Shizuru's form, _Was she always this light?_ The brunette felt feather-light in her arms. _I could have sworn she was a little heavier earlier…_

Her gaze lingered on the body, trailing down Fujino's frame as if taking it in for the first time. Her green stare slowly ascended back up until it fell on Shizuru's face; Kuga felt a sense of tranquility flow through her as she watched the woman in her arms sleep. However, she quickly caught herself staring and looked away, _What the hell, Kuga? Are you some sort of creep who watches people sleep now?_

'_I get it, you're worried about your lady friend._'

Kuga blushed deeply at the memory of Nao's words, her pace brisk as she set off for her house, "Stupid Nao."

* * *

"Mm…" Red eyes fluttered open, dazed as Shizuru started to wake up. _Where am I?_ She thought drowsily.

"Evenin', sunshine," Natsuki's calm voice pierced through Shizuru's hazy mind.

"Natsuki?" Shizuru looked up to find a pair of intense emeralds staring down at her, accompanied by a small, easy-going smile. She looked around, "Where are—" She noticed she was off the ground and frowned, bewildered, "Why am I being carried?"

"You ran, sprinting until you were seventeen blocks away from the house." _Seventeen whole blocks…_ Natsuki's voice turned neutral, her smile gone, "Shizuru, what happened?" The black-haired demon asked as she continued to walk.

The human parted her lips and was about to speak, but stopped. _What do I say? 'Oh, it's nothing Natsuki. A little voice just appeared in my head, telling me have sex with you because my body wants to become a demon, that's all.' Ara, I don't think so._ She settled for closing her mouth and turning her stare to the street ahead of them.

Natsuki gave the woman in her arms a searching look, but finally gave up after a minute or so of silence. She looked back to the path so she wouldn't bump into anything as she walked.

Shizuru's inner battle carried on, _It shouldn't matter what she thinks. _Fujino furrowed her brows a little, _It shouldn't matter because I'm going back tomorrow anyway, but I _have _to ask._ She looked up to the biker's face, "Natsuki," She started.

"Hm?"

"Do you…" Shizuru paused, suddenly doubting her decision to go through with this.

"Do I…?"

_It's now or never._ "Do you really think of me as a 'problem?'" She asked quietly, her hands lightly grabbing the hem of the nightshirt she wore. Shizuru dreaded the answer, but she just had to know.

Kuga lowered her gaze to the taller woman once more, a puzzled expression on her features, "'Problem?'" _Where did she get that idea?_

"You said earlier, with the Demon Lord, that you would find a way to get rid of the problem." Crimsons steeled, her stare deeply penetrating Natsuki's, "Am I that problem?"

The Second Column held Shizuru's stare as her mind shuffled through memories of earlier in that day, _With Suzushiro? What is she talking about?..._

_Oh!_ Her eyes widened a fraction as she recalled her conversation with the blonde demon. _Did Shizuru really think I was talking about her?_ "Of course not," The Second Column felt the woman in her arms relax as she continued. "I was talking about the issue of humans entering the Demonic Realm, not you specifically." She then smirked, catching Shizuru off guard, "Sure, you might be annoying at times, but you're not a problem." The smirk eased into a grin, "Tomorrow I'll get you back to the Human Realm, I promise."

A slow smile spread across Fujino's face as the words set in. She leaned up and wrapped her arms around the demon's neck, "Ookini, Natsuki," Shizuru whispered into Kuga's neck, feeling all the tension release from her body. "Ookini."

_To Be Continued._

* * *

Shizuru's hearing a voice and if anyone can guess what it is… you have incredible insight. o_O (You much really want that tiramisu...) But I hope you were able to survive the OOC-ness- it wasn't too bad, right? ^^;

If you like what you've read, or see something I can improve on, please leave a review with any questions or comments you might have. =)

* * *

Ogre (Haruka)

**Group**: Monster

**Type**: Physical

**Features:** Large ram-like horns, one on either side of their head; A slight, unnoticeable under-bite; Their bottom canine teeth are slightly larger than their top; Muscled appearance

**Characteristics:** Prone to hot tempers; Immense physical strength; Can easily withstand a physical attack


	5. Chapter 5

Beta'd by: **RevalisPyross** and "Starch"

And we finally meet the last original character; all three are present in this chapter. I like to think they're not _completely_ cringe-worthy. ;P

Please read and enjoy! =3

* * *

On the morning of the next day both Natsuki and Nao found themselves standing in front of an all too familiar door. (Shizuru was outside the building, hidden away in a nearby alley along with Kuga's bike.) Standing of the fourth level of an apartment building, Natsuki raised her hand to knock. Neither of two demons wanted to be there, but under the circumstances Natsuki didn't have a choice.

Natsuki rasped her knuckle on the wood and backed up so the owner of the house could see them through the peephole. One of the apartment's two occupants was cautious when it came to visitors she didn't know.

The redhead glared at the door as they waited for an answer, "Do we really have to be here?" For once, she was standing on the ground and not hovering about in the air. Even as she addressed her Charge, her sharp green eyes continued to glower at the entrance, her arms crossing under her chest. Her tail swished irritably.

"I wouldn't come here unless absolutely necessary." One of Natsuki's ears twitched as she heard sounds coming from the other side and her body straightened out from leaning against the handrail.

The door finally opened and— "Nao-chaaaaa~n!" With open arms, a tall woman ran towards the imp, a broad smile on her face.

Caught off guard, the Helper instinctively dodged and watched as her would-be assailant(?) tripped and fell down half a flight of stairs. Upon seeing who the woman was, Yuuki scowled, "Whoops…" She said dryly.

"What happened?" The second occupant of the house rushed outside, looking at Natsuki and Nao with a bewildered expression. "I heard something that sounded like a crash."

"It's nothing, Urufu. Baxter was just trying to harass my Helper again," Natsuki sent the demon still on the stairs a hard look.

The second owner relaxed into her usual stoic expression, "Oh, is that all?" She sent a concerned glance toward the steps, but had seen this situation enough times to know that her friend's fall was nothing serious.

"'_Oh, is that all?'_" Said friend mocked spitefully. She slowly got up, hissing in pain as she did so. She grabbed onto the stairwell's handrail and climbed back up to her apartment's landing, glaring at the three demons in the hallway. She moved to stand next to Urufu and spoke with an American accent, "Thanks for the help, guys. It's _so_ nice to know you're willing to aid a fallen friend." Her voice was dripping in sarcasm as she glared.

It was Alexis Baxter and Kane Urufu, the same two women who helped Shizuru through the Terminal.

Alexis Baxter was Natsuki's main informant and weapons dealer and Kuga never found herself dissatisfied with the service (even if the American had a tendency to hike up the prices.) Baxter never turned down work due to her 'I'll get you what you want, as long as you pay in full,' and with the amount of pay Natsuki received being Second Column, money was never an issue.

She was a shadow eater, a demon who, as the name suggests, eats shadows. Their level on the social class was 'servant,' one of the lowest classes along with imps and other such races, and their lives usually consisted of working for others. A shadow eater, in order to survive in the Surface World, finds the body of a dead human and seeps into it, using it as their own; if not in their human vessels, they're ebony black humanoid creatures with bright yellow, glowing eyes. Baxter's black hair was long in length and a Seal, in the form of an eye-patch, covered her bright yellow-colored left eye. She wore a white tank top with black cargo pants and black Vans.

Natsuki responded with a deadpan look, "What're you talking about, Baxter? You've been tossed out of a building several times and have always come back in working condition. I doubt a trip down ten or so steps is going to do much damage."

Alexis turned her frown to Natsuki, "That was _after_ clinging to the flag pole for dear life and climbing down the office building window-by-window!"

"And why should I try to help the woman who tried to assault me?" Nao glared pointedly.

"_Glomp_. I was going to _glomp_ you," Baxter responded, sniffing indignantly. Alexis constantly drove Natsuki up the wall, but even she had to begrudgingly admit that the shadow eater's annoyance was only matched by her quality work.

"With you it's practically the same thing!" The redhead shot back.

Before the two could continue their quarrel, Kane stepped in, "To what do we owe this visit, Kuga-sama?"

Kane Urufu had short, dark grey hair as opposed to Natsuki or Alexis's black; her eyes were a dull golden color and she had a pair of wolf ears and a matching tail, signifying that she was a werewolf. She skin was tanned and her body was toned, her form covered in traditional clothing: a faded green _gi_ top, a dark green _hakama_ and a pair of wooden _geta _slippers. She had bandages running up her lower arms, ending across her torso to restrict her chest (even if she had none to speak of, much to her chagrin.) She had a boyish appearance, causing some to mistake her for a man (again, much to her chagrin.)

Werewolves were one of the demonic races that came under direct employment of the five Columns of the Demonic Council. Kane is next in line to become alpha of the Urufu clan and even ran her own martial arts dojo when she wasn't helping Alexis with her jobs.

The reason Kane and Alexis were currently living together was a story for another time.

"I'm here to buy some things," Natsuki answered simply. She turned her attention to the tallest demon in the room, waiting for the response she knew her words would bring.

Immediately forgetting why she was angry at her two visitors, Baxter's visible eye lit up and a broad smile spread across her face, "Well, well! _Now_ we're getting somewhere!" She walked inside and beckoned the others to follow, "Just sit down on the couch over there and I'll show you what I've got. I promise you won't be disappointed!" She started to make her way toward the back room, but was halted when Natsuki spoke up.

"What I mean is, I'm here to place an order. I'm not looking for anything new." Natsuki sat back on one of the couches and crossed her legs, watching as Nao and Kane did the same; Alexis remained standing just in case she needed to fetch anything. "Six clips for the Twins and I'd like to place an order: two silencers for the same guns, even if they have to be custom made. The sound they make is enough to give me a headache."

The broker nodded, "Be right out with your clips then." She reached into her shadow, usually a shadow eater's portal to the World of Shadows (where her race originated from) but now was Alexis's random storage container, and pulled out a receipt slip and pen. She jotted down the requested items while heading toward the back room.

"Kuga-sama," Kane turned back to the Second Column once Baxter was out of sight, "There was a woman looking for you a couple days ago."

"Oh?" In truth, Natsuki didn't care, but there was nothing else to talk about while they waited so she humored the werewolf.

The werewolf nodded her head, "She was tall, a little taller than you, and had a Kansai-ben accent. I suspected her to be of an undead race, but she didn't smell like any type of undead I've encountered before. She actually smelled like a human…" Kane frowned, realizing she was getting off track, "Do you know of anyone that fits that description?"

_Do I know someone? Yeah, that's Shizuru. _"I do, why?" The biker asked, guarded. _How does Urufu know Shizuru?_

"We met her at the Terminal. She said she knew you, but Alexis and I were hesitant because you'd never mentioned anyone with that description before. However, if you _do_ know her, then I suppose there's nothing to worry about." Kane relaxed into a small smile, "I take it you two met up?"

The elf was about to respond, but Alexis reappeared with Natsuki's order in hand, "Oh, are you guys talking about that really hot woman we met two days ago?"

Natsuki's brows pinched into a frown, _'Hot woman'?_ Something about the way Baxter said that rubbed her the wrong way. Sure, there was no denying that Shizuru was beautiful, but still…

A mischievous twinkle entered the shadow eater's bright yellow eye, "Damn Kuga, I don't know how you do it. You've got women chasing after you left and right!" She plopped down onto the couch, a large grin on her face, "I don't even understand why: you give everyone but a select few the cold shoulder." She shrugged in an exaggerated fashion, "Meanwhile, the rest of us _commoners_ are stuck picking off the scraps that the elites don't chew."

Kane's eyes widened at Baxter's words, but painfully shut soon after. She turned to the side, her ears folding back, _Of course she doesn't notice…_

Nao stared at the werewolf, "…" While it was a known fact that these two often bickered, strong-willed personalities clashing, there was a sort of friendship that sprouted from their hatred for one another. "Chin up, dog," She said simply, knowing her message would get across.

Golden eyes met green, a silent word of thanks passing through her stare before the werewolf looked away once more.

"Alrighty then," Baxter started up once more, oblivious to the two's communication. She leaned across to the other couch, handing Natsuki both her clips and bill, "There's the first half of your order along with your total. Come back in a week's time and your silencers should be ready." She leaned back and plugged her ears, waiting for the inevitable eruption.

"_What?_" Natsuki exclaimed, reading the total at the bottom for a third time, mouth gaping. _I know I shouldn't be surprised at Baxter's costly charges, but this is ridiculous! She's only charging me this much because she knows I'm the Second Column!_ Kuga turned her glower to the informant, "You're insane if you think I'm paying this much!"

The shadow eater gave a languid grin, showing off a mouth full of large, jagged teeth used for sipping apart shadows (They had the ability to switch back and forth between human teeth and their own when occupying a human's body.) She was very much use to this reaction, "Tut, tut, tut!" She wagged her finger, "There happens to be a fine line between insanity and genius."

"Yeah, and you happen to be on the side with all the loons!"

"Ara, am I interrupting something?" A familiar voice effectively stopped their banter. The four demons in the room turned their attention toward the newcomer standing by the doorway.

Natsuki blinked, "… Shizuru?"

* * *

'_It's not safe for a human to be walking around the Demonic Realm in broad daylight._'

Shizuru watched as Natsuki and Nao walked out of the alleyway, where she was told it was safest to stay. She sighed, straddling Natsuki's motorcycle, idly wondering why Natsuki needed _ammo_ in order to get her back through the Terminal. Brows furrowed as possibilities popped into her mind and she lightly shook her head, _Best not to think about it._

"_Shizuru-sama…"_

Shizuru's eyes widened, _That voice again!_ She thought it was gone! Wasn't it dealt with last night?

"_Shizuru-sama,_" The voice that sounded like Shizuru spoke once more, its tone filled with regret, "_You cannot get rid of me. I am a part of you._" A hesitant pause. "_I did not mean to scare you."_

Wine-colored eyes searched the area, but there was no one in sight. _What are you?_ She asked the voice, closing her eyes. Its presence was overpowering. _Why are you in my mind?_

"_I have no name, Shizuru-sama. I exist for only one purpose: to carry out whatever order you give. I am a side of you that you rarely indulge in, a side that does what it wants, for its own sake. I am a part of your very spirit._"

_A part of my spirit._ "Kokoro…"

"_Shizuru-sama?_" The voice was perplexed. No doubt it was expecting more painful words of resentment similar to the ones from last night.

_I do not trust you yet, but if you truly are a part of me, I will need to call you something._ "And thus, Kokoro."

"_Koko… ro._"

A great amount of anxiety that Shizuru didn't know she possessed lifted off her shoulders, leaving her whole body feeling much lighter. (Or perhaps, the human realized, it wasn't even her own anxiety to begin with?) "_I am Kokoro._" Relief quickly replaced any apprehension the voice once held as it spoke up again, its tone much more composed and confident, "_Shizuru-sama, to prove that I am truly a part of you, allow me to perform the first task you have set upon me._"

Shizuru blinked, bewildered. _First task? What're you talking abou—_

Her vision started to blur, her head feeling faint. _Why do I feel so heavy?_ Her body bent forward, eventually laying flat across the motorcycle's back. She was suddenly so tired... _Why can't I… stay awake?_ The brunette fought for consciousness, concentrating all her thoughts on gathering up her strength, but it was no use. She couldn't even lift her arms. Heavy lids closed over unfocused red eyes, quietly lulled into a deep sleep.

"… Shizuru-sama," Shizuru's eyes reopened, but something was different about them. They were a bright scarlet color, greatly contrasting Shizuru's usual dark gaze; they almost seemed to glow. "let me sedate your inner hunger."

Shizuru's body lifted up and dismounted the bike. Kokoro looked down to Shizuru's hands, the hands she could freely maneuver as Shizuru continued her forced slumber, "Forgive me, but this is what you truly want deep down inside: You do not want to leave. You want to stay here, belong here." Kokoro lifted her gaze and started walking toward the street, "So I shall give you what you want." Her eyes briefly flashed.

With each step down the sidewalk, those painful aches started to re-form all over her body. They were easily pushed into the back of her mind, however, as Kokoro figured that problem would be solved soon enough. She sniffed the air, her nose twitching as she did so, easily locating what she set out to find. Her feet followed that alluring scent, "Force unto me your sin. Allow me to indulge in the tasks you cannot bring yourself to do, but so desperately wish you could. I will be your devil, Shizuru-sama, so that you may shine brighter in other's eyes. I exist to make you happy."

Kokoro stood by the entrance of her destination: a small, hidden side street that looked like it hadn't seen any action for years. The location itself didn't catch the spirit's attention, however, it was the aroma coming from a little ways in. She could hear their soft moans, taste their thick arousal in the air; Kokoro licked her lips in anticipation.

"Ara," The Id drawled, moving into view of the now startled teenage demons. She observed them with a predatory gleam, looking as if she was sizing up her next meal, "Shouldn't you two be in school?"

The two broke apart from one another, shivering under this newcomer's intense gaze. The aura this woman had was… frightening. The boy shook off the feeling and stood in front of his girlfriend, glaring, "And who's going to force us to go? You?" He sneered. "I'd like to see you try, you old hag."

Faster than the two demons could perceive, the boy slammed into a nearby wall with an audible crack, the girl letting out a scream in response. Kokoro slowly brought her leg down from the powerful kick, a satisfied smirk on her face, "I'd think twice before calling me an old hag, _young boy_." After watching the boy fall unconscious from the impact, Kokoro turned her attention to the remaining demon.

The girl trembled under that unwavering stare. She felt trapped, hunted, and wanted to run away from this powerful stranger. However, as soon as the thought of escaping entered her mind, the older woman's bright red eyes flashed brilliantly, her iris expanding into her pupil until only a small dot in the center and a black outer ring remained. All thoughts of fleeing went away, unable to look away from those hypnotizing orbs.

She couldn't move. She couldn't break their fixed gazes. The girl could slowly feel her body becoming heavier and heavier until she simply collapsed onto her knees. Paralyzed, she let out a pathetic whimper, terrified for her life as Kokoro stalked forward like a lioness ready to pounce on her feast.

"Shh," Kokoro cooed softly as she approached the teenage demon. "No need to be afraid." She slowly bent down and lifted her hand to caress the girl's cheek in a soothing fashion, all the while her entrancing gaze locked with the young girl's. Fight it as she might, the girl could feel her grasp on consciousness easily slip away. Soon enough, the teenager started to relax into Kokoro's soft strokes, pressing her cheek against the inviting hand, spellbound.

Kokoro chuckled to herself as she gazed upon the girl's transfixed stare. She tilted the demon's head to the side, amused by how obedient the girl was after hypnotized, and stared at the exposed flesh of her neck. "Ah…" The spirit marveled at the pale column, wanting nothing more than to quench her growing thirst. _This is it, Shizuru-sama. This is what your body has been wanting._ Kokoro closed her eyes and bent down, placing her lips upon the smooth skin, feeling the current of liquid she longed for rush past.

Her senses attacked her. The girl's scent surrounded her, quick breaths puffed close to her ear, and that stream of tantalizing fluids gushed just out of her reach. Her tongue darted out to lick at the girl's pulse, unable to hold back a smirk when the girl gasped and moaned quietly, hypersensitive to touch. Her tongue persisted, each lap causing the demon under her to twitch; Kokoro's eyes dimmed into a faint, red glow. Her canines cried out, each thump more agonizing than the last. She opened her jaw wide, her breathing heavy as she closed her eyes in anticipation.

It started.

The sound of bones shifting and scraping against one another echoed in Kokoro's ears as she screamed. Her jaw was on fire, her teeth piercing farther past her gums as her canines slowly,_ slowly_ extended to their full length. Streams of blood trickled from her panting mouth as her teeth tingled with the desire to be used.

Her hold on the girl trembled as the brunette crouched before her, paralyzed to her spot. Her nails on both her hands and feet grew just long enough to become claws, their razor-sharp edges easily slicing the girl's skin and causing her to bleed tiny, crimson droplets.

Her shoulder blades felt like they were being ripped apart, her spine aflame all along its column. Her joints felt as if they were being pulled to their limits and something wriggled along her back, just beneath the skin. She could feel her organs morphing inside, moving around and reshaping to fit a new creature's anatomy. Little whimpers escaped the back of Kokoro's throat at every little creak and groan of her changing frame. Her nose flared, taking in scents from as far away as three blocks down and her red eyes glowed fiercely, gazing down at the hypnotized girl to see the skeleton of her inner Flow of Essence.

Kokoro stared, entranced, watching the light blue liquid current throughout the girl's body in steady streams before finally returning back to her soul. _Her soul…_ The spirit's quivering mouth salivated at the enticing aroma of this demon's essence, desperate to reach in and take the soul for herself. _But no, I can't do that. Not yet. _She focused on the light glowing sphere situated directly under the teenager's collarbone, gazing at what would soon become her _lunch_.

_But first, a little snack,_ Kokoro thought wickedly, finally giving into the overwhelming need to sink her teeth into the girl's neck. The spirit moaned loudly at the feel of muscles clamping stiffly around her teeth, the pain in her jaw quickly replaced with intense pleasure. As the muscle relaxed, a stream of liquid, not red but clear in color, flowed from both puncture wounds as the canines retracted.

Such a wonderful taste it was! Kokoro could feel her strength coming back to her as mouthfuls of sweet, sticky fluid poured down throat. She continued to lap up the honey-like drink, her tongue assaulted with the most succulent taste Shizuru had ever encountered. The Id inwardly chuckled as she heard Shizuru, deep down inside her consciousness, moan out wantonly from within her slumber, no doubt enjoying the taste as much as she was.

However, with each gulp of her meal, she could feel a mounting pressure build along her spine and shoulder blades. _This is the end,_ Kokoro thought, glad that she had the mind to put Shizuru to sleep. No human could possibly be able to withstand the upcoming pain without fainting.

_Rip!_ Came the sound of pierced flesh. Agonizing yells roared up from Kokoro's throat, resonating about the thin side street. They finally surfaced: two large and purple bat-like wings sprung out from their confines, painting the walls with fresh blood as they breached. The brunette didn't even have any time to recollect herself as the last alteration finally formed: a purple, cone-tipped tail penetrated the small of her back, its five-foot-long length surfacing through her black-and-blue mark.

Her spent body fell forward, pushing the girl away, limp and paralyzed. All Kokoro could do was lay there, shakily breathing and praying that the excruciating pain would soon stop. Her newly formed appendages were fanned out around her body; freshly formed nerves pricked painfully, causing her demonic limbs to twitch.

… _How long have I been lying here? _Kokoro asked as her body stared to relax._ Minutes? Hours? _She clenched her hand, wincing when she could still feel jolts shoot up arm. _For Shizuru-sama, I must… endure._ Kokoro's appendages trembled as she willed them to move and slowly, she started to maneuver her arms and legs into a kneeling position, biting back any whimpers that wished to escape. Her sweating body quivered as she leaned on sore limbs, _I must wake Shizuru up._

She looked up and spotted the girl laying unconscious a couple feet away. Her lips twitched into a smirk and she slowly, painfully, crawled her way over, collapsing on top of the teenager's body. Breathing heavily, Kokoro's eyes started to glow dimly and she could immediately see the Flow of Essence coursing about the girl's inner framework.

_And with this,_ the spirit thought, her gaze drawn to the soul like a moth to a flame, _I can speed up the healing process. _She placed her hand on top of the girl's collarbone and pushed down, slowly phasing through the limp body without any obstructions. Her fingers soon gripped the squishy, baseball-size object in her hand and pulled it out. The teenager's body started to loose heat, the light in her unconscious eyes fading away into a dead stare. Removing the soul immediately killed the demon, but Kokoro really couldn't care less. She regarded the girl with cold detachment before turning back to her feast. She licked her lips, her heart starting to race as she took in the sphere's smell. She turned it this way and that, admiring the soft glow it gave off.

Bringing it to her mouth, Kokoro poked out her tongue, letting it run across the soul's slippery surface. Unable to take it anymore, the spirit chomped down on the ball much like one would bite an apple. She penetrated its elastic surface and was rewarded with a taste beyond imagine. She moaned into her meal as the flavor coated her tongue, that same tongue that desperately tried to catch all the liquid that fell out of the core. She enthusiastically continued her meal until there wasn't a soul left to speak off.

Kokoto purred contently, feeling energy course through her body. When she was able to, the spirit stood up before spotting the boy lying nearby. She chuckled to herself, a hungry gleam in her eyes once more as she sauntered over, "No reason to let good food go to waste."

Feeling completely refreshed after her second meal, Kokoro smiled placidly, walking towards the side street's entrance. _I have fulfilled your wish, Shizuru-sama. You no longer have to leav—ow. _Frowning bewilderedly, the brunette turned her attention to the light sting she felt. She blinked upon finding out what it was: the tip of her sensitive wing had scraped against the building's wall. Her smile returned and her eyes twinkled with mirth, "Ara ara, this won't do at all."

Kokoro didn't know how, but she already knew all about Shizuru's demonic anatomy. The spirit winced in pain as she folded the large wings, new muscles being used for the first time. The Id continued to collapse and unfurl the wings until the aching stopped when controlled. Satisfied, when she could flap them freely, she simply willed the wings away, making them disappear until summoned back into existence. _They were a lot lighter than I they they'd be,_ she idly thought. _I barely felt their weight at all._ Turning to her hands, she willed her claw-like nails back to a normal human size, inwardly disappointed that she couldn't dismiss her tail as well.

"Oh well, a tail can be hidden easily enough." As if on cue, the long, purple appendage started to slither around her torso, hiding underneath the fabric of Fujino's shirt. The spirit smiled as she stared out into the main street, _And now, Shizuru-sama, awaken to your new life as a succubus!_

A few seconds passed.

"… Ara?" Kokoro frowned, thoroughly perplexed. She listened to the soft snores of her charge, quickly growing troubled. This wasn't right; the spirit should have been able to break her own hypnosis spell, rousing Shizuru back from her forced sleep. A rare flash of panic crossed Kokoro's features, _So why isn't she waking up?_

_To Be Continued.  
_

* * *

Yes, a succubus. I was tired of vampire story after vampire story- you might've noticed that not one single vampire has made an appearance in my story yet. ;3 As for the transformation scene, I hope it's not too graphic. I admit I really got into writing that scene, trying to get the scene from my mind down onto the paper. Did it work?

Note: Kokoro is a part of Shizuru, not a separate being or demon that posses people. (She kinda reminded me of Tomoe there for a bit, which wasn't my intent. o_O; ) Also: Flow of Essence = a part of the soul in liquid form.

If you like what you've read, or see something I can improve on, please leave a review with any questions or comments you might have. =)

* * *

Were[animal] (Yukino, Chie, Akira, Kane)

**Group:** Animal

**Type:** Were

**Features:** They have three forms: animal, beast and human

- _Animal_: They look like the animal they're named after (werewolves look like wolves, etc.); They can talk in this form, but their mouths/beaks/etc. don't move

- _Beast_: The beast forms greatly vary from clan to clan, but there are their purely demonic form; They can talk in this form

- _Human_: They look human, except they have their ears, eyes and tail are retained in this form

**Characteristics:** They are prone to behavioral patterns of their base animal; They live in groups of their were-kind, usually called "clans"; Most of the clan-families are assigned to one of the Council members to be under direct order of that demon; Some of the were-demons have abilities that others done: an example is that werefoxes have a fire ability (called "foxfire") that other were other were-clans don't


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Mai Hime.

Beta'd by: **RevalisPyross**

This chapter is a bit longer than the last five, so it took longer to rewrite. Thank you for waiting.

* * *

Natsuki blinked, "… Shizuru?"

"Of course," Shizuru replied without missing a beat, a playful twinkle in her eyes. "Why? Were you hoping for someone else?" She jested.

'_Someone else'? What?_ Natsuki brushed the comment aside, "What are you doing here? It's safer for you to wait downstairs, out of sight," She replied while standing._ How did she get up here without any of us noticing?_

The brunette pouted, "After all the time I spent looking for you, you're going to send me back? Natsuki ikezu."

Natsuki blinked to make sure her eyes weren't playing tricks on her. _Is… Shizuru pouting?_ She stared, caught completely off-guard by the expression.

Baxter cut in with a big grin on her face, "Hey, it's that one chick from a couple days ago! Remember us?"

"Yes, I do, and I must thank you both; you were a huge help," Shizuru smiled at the pair.

"Nah, it was nothin'," Alexis waved it off. "If you ever need help with anything, just give us a call. And I do mean 'anything'," She added with a provocative Cheshire smile.

"Ara, anything you say? Well then, I'll be sure to keep that in mind," Shizuru replied with small wink.

_Wait a second,_ Natsuki frowned, her expression bordering on a glare. _Are those two flirting?_ An uncomfortable spark of jealousy flickered inside Natsuki, an emotion completely foreign to the Second Column. Quickly deciding that she didn't like this feeling, she opened her mouth to tell Baxter off when something caught her attention: _Hold on, I thought Shizuru was scared of demons. But now she's flirting with Baxter like they're long-time pals?_ Natsuki's eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Hey Shizuru, could you come over here for a second?"

"Hm?" 'Shizuru' walked over, "What is it, Natsuki?"

Kuga scrutinized the brunette's face before finally meeting the other's eyes, "Who are you?" Her voice was low, demanding an answer.

Shizuru frowned, bewildered, "Natsuki? What's wrong?"

"I asked you a question: Who. Are. You?" Natsuki hissed, her green eyes starting to glimmer.

"What do you mean?" the other asked, "I'm Shizu—"

"_Don't you _DARE_ say her name!_" Natsuki snarled, slamming the brunette into the nearby wall with a painful yelp before pinning her. She grasped the taller woman's wrists with her free hand and held them tightly against the wall. Her eyes shimmered brilliantly, reflecting her anger as her fully extended ears caught every sound in the room; she ignored her friend's alarmed calls, instead focusing on the imposter in front of her, "Shizuru is frightened of demons, and yet you expect me to believe that you're her when you're _flirting_ with them?"

Her grip tightened as she continued, "Now I'm only going to ask you this one more time: Who are you and what have you done to Shizuru?"

At first, nothing happened and everyone stood in silence to see what would happen next. Then, suddenly, a low, degrading chuckle passed by 'Shizuru's' lips and she smirked, flashing Natsuki with a pair of pearly-white fangs and gleaming red eyes, "Ara, ara~ So you aren't as stupid as you appear."

Natsuki gazed at the face she'd come to adore looking at- gazed at how demonic it had become. Her rage bowled over as her aura became visible, "_What have you done to her body!_" She yelled, pounding one of her fists into the wall near the imposter's head. The brunette didn't even bat an eye.

Instead that irritating smirk grew ever so slightly, a mocking gleam in her eye, "And what will you do if I don't tell you?" The natural purr in her words intertwined with Shizuru's accent to create a dangerous and knee-weakening combination.

Instantly, Natsuki brought one of her large pistols to the other's neck, her fury clouding her judgment.

"K-Kuga! Look at who you're pointing that gun at!" Nao's alarmed voice broke through the haze in Kuga's mind and the Second Column jerked her hand away. She looked down at her hand, staring at it as if it wasn't her own, _Was I just about to shoot Shizuru?_

The imposter's mood instantly dropped to openly expressed hatred, looking down at Natsuki as if she was insignificant, "I know not what Shizuru-sama sees in you. She wants to go back home and yet you subconsciously tie her down to this world with a leash built out of emotions she cannot let go." Those bright red eyes flashed dangerously, her gaze narrowing, "I will prove my worth and find a way to wake her up without anyone else's help. I will show Shizuru-sama that she need only to rely on herself and that she does _not_ need you!"

With those final, passionate words, Natsuki was instantly flung into the opposite side of the living room by a powerful kick to the stomach. She let out a painful grunt as her back connected with the wall before bouncing off and falling onto the wooden floor. Her body shuddered and she tried to get up on wobbly limbs.

Meanwhile, Nao rushed over to help her charge up, Baxter was scrambling to get a weapon from out of her shadow, and Kane stepped forward to immediately confront the imposter.

The one controlling Shizuru's body watched as the werewolf moved into an offensive martial arts pose. She smiled, amused, "My, does the puppy wish to play?"

Kane's lip twitched into a sneer at her words, a deep growl rumbling as she glowered. She glanced to the side and watched as Nao steadied the heavily breathing woman to her feet, _Kuga-sama…_ The werewolf felt deep shame course through her body; could she not even protect the Column she served, let alone work under her? Her golden eyes turned forward to meet the fanged demon's stare, _I _will not_ let it happen again!_

"You will pay for what you have done!" She roared before charging forward. As she neared the taller woman, she brought her fist from her side to connect to with the brunette's mid-section, transforming only her arm into its werewolf form as she did so.

Her curled, massive paw only met with the wall. The brunette had jumped away just in time, moving to the side, and she prepared her own attack by squatting down. Kane quickly followed, however, and changed her leg into its werewolf form, the strap on her _geta_ breaking when she slammed her foot down into the floor in a drop-kick.

Thinking fast, the fanged demon preformed a backwards handspring. As soon as she was upright again, she immediately rushed forward at an inhuman speed, roundhouse kicking the unsuspecting werewolf.

Kane fell onto the floor, temporarily dazed, _She's fast! I didn't even see her move!_ The warrior had never faced an opponent this swift before, nor had she ever read of a demon being able to reach speeds that quick in such a short amount of time. _What is she?_

Her sixth sense picked up on an incoming stomp and she rolled out of the way, quickly transforming fully into her animal form. She stood up on all fours, her clothes falling to the ground to reveal rich, obsidian-colored fur covering her wolf body.

Kane snarled, racing forward and body slamming the other woman, sending them both down. Before she could do any more, she felt an intense pain cut across her eyes and yipped, morphing into her humanoid form to cover the wounds. "God!" She yelled in pain, realizing she was slashed across her eyes when she felt the claw marks start to bleed.

_Bang._

Shizuru's body stumbled back, her claws retracting back to normal as she looked at the bullet hole where her head was just moments ago. She looked up to find a shotgun barrel pointed right at her.

"Dammit!" Baxter swore, cocking her gun, "That's one more place I gotta patch up!" She was getting increasingly annoyed at all the holes appearing around her living room. That and she didn't enjoy her flatmate's eyes being scratched at.

"Don't shoot! Shizuru's still in there somewhere!" Natsuki's voice echoed through the apartment, drawing all the attention to her. Well, not all the attention:

The imposter took this opportunity to swiftly make a run for the window. She summoned her large bat-wings and wrapped them about her to form a protective cover as she smashed through the window panel. Unfurling them as she fell, the brunette winced when the wind caught her membrane, suspending her in high in the air. She quickly flew forward, ignoring the growing pain in her shoulder blades while scanning the area for a safe place to hide and think things over.

Back in the apartment, Natsuki watched in horror as the woman she had come to care for _flew_ away. "Wings… She has wings now." _I was suppose to get her back to the human realm so she could live a normal life._ Her fist started to tremble at her side before she slammed it down onto the window frame, _But she has wings now! She was suppose to live a happy life and forget all this but that _thing_ changed her into a demon!_

The building started to shake as the Second Column's growing anger mounted. "Hey, Kuga!" The imp spoke up, "Taking the whole neighborhood down won't get your girl back!" Nao yelled over the rumbling, starting to feel like a broken record. She was starting to get annoyed at Natsuki's fluctuating temper, _I don't get paid enough for this shit._

Natsuki was brought back to the present and the shaking stopped, "You're right. We have to get to Shizuru before that thing changes her anymore." She looked at her Helper, "Sorry, Nao."

"You damned right better be sorry." Nao scowled, "I save only about _ten thousand people _each time your temper flares up."

Natsuki nodded, "I'll be sure to keep my anger in check." Normally she had no problems keeping her emotions in line, but ever since Shizuru entered her life, all of that control seemed to go right down the drain. _Why does that woman affect me so much? _What happened to all that famed cool? Black locks fell over her shoulder as she lightly shook her head, _Now's not the time to be thinking about that._

The elf turned to the redhead, taking up the air of a true Column member, "Follow Shizuru's body. Tell me if anything happens or if she stops to rest somewhere."

Yuuki nodded at her order and beat her wings rapidly to hover upward. She took off through the window in a red flash, speeding in the direction she saw the imposter go.

Natsuki turned to the pair, "Baxter, take care of Urufu and be ready for my call at any time." Without waiting for a reply, the Second Column ran out of the apartment and rushed down the stairs. _Hopefully my bike is fast enough trail after those two…_

* * *

Kokoro was panting from exertion. She'd been flying for twenty-five minutes straight without rest; each time she thought it was okay to land and take a breather, that imp would appear right behind her. _I have to lose her._ The spirit frantically searched the area, _But where can I hide—Ah-ha!_ Kokoro almost beamed, recognizing the Council Building in the center of the Demonic Realm.

She turned, momentarily out of the redhead's sight, before wrapping her wings around her body and diving into an open, arched window. She all but crashed onto the marble floor, swiftly scrambling to hide behind one of the thick, stone pillars. She dismissed her wings and leaned her back against the column; she breathed heavily, her tail uncoiling from around her torso, lying limply around her lap. Her clothes clung to her form uncomfortably and she lifted her arm to wipe beads of sweat away from her eyes, _Now, to find a way to wake Shizuru-sama._

An unfamiliar scent passed by her nose and she quickly ducked. Looking back, she found a small kunai stuck in the wall. She frowned, _I never get a break, do I?_ The succubus rolled onto her feet, correctly anticipating a second throw, and turned to the direction it was thrown.

Red eyes flashed and the spirit scanned the darkened ceiling, "I know you're up there—" She stopped in mid-step when she momentarily lost track of the assassin's aroma. The next thing she knew, she was hissing in pain as her mid-back was slashed across with a knife.

After wincing, she instinctively kicked the figure behind her. Before the person could fly backwards, however, her long tail reached out and constricted around their neck, harshly slamming them down into the ground. Gone was Kokoro's blank gaze, replaced with anger and irritation as she stared down at the werefrog known as Akira.

Kokoro's eyes trailed along the girl's long tongue, seeing the small hunting knife at the end of its length. That crimson gaze moved back to meet defiant brown, "Not the smartest thing you've ever done, girl." The spirit lifted her foot and harshly pressed down on the were-demon's chest, "Now tell me where the documents are stored within this facility." She applied more pressure, making the ninja under her gasp for air, the girl unable to close her mouth for fear of biting off her own tongue.

Kokoro paused in her actions, smelling yet another person's scent. She frowned, realizing whom it was. Turning her attention back to the recovering ninja, she moved her tail from the girl's neck to wrap it around the ninja's calf, "You'll have to excuse me; something else has come up."

Her strong tail easily tossed the werefrog into the air, crashing the girl's body into the other's. They both fell to the floor in a bundled heap, and Kokoro was on them in a second. She stomped her foot down onto Akira's torso, listening as a few ribs cracked under the intense pressure. Okuzaki was knocked out cold while Nao was pinned under the werefrog's body.

Kokoro reached down and wrapped her hand around the imp's throat, making sure to pin the redhead's tail with her foot, making Nao defenseless, "Perhaps you can answer my question instead." She spoke in an even tone, but her expression was anything but amiable.

Nao sneered, clawing at the hand squeezing her neck, "Why the fuck should I tell you anything?" She spat.

"Because I will kill you if you do not," She replied calmly, secretly pleased by the brief flash of fear in Yuuki's eyes. She tightened her grip to back up her claim.

She saw a glint of metal in the corner of her eye, but before Kokoro could react, the pole-end of a weapon slammed painfully into her side, causing her grip to loosen. She instinctively jumped back a good ten feet and looked back to find a mysterious woman standing between herself and the imp.

Cautiously, Kokoro stood up, ignoring the throbs coming from her right side. She moved into a defensive stance, her instincts screaming at her to get out of there, _This woman is strong._ Kokoro could feel her legs tremble from the subconscious aura the newcomer was emanating.

She also looked possessed. Skin, hair, clothes- everything but her eyes were cloaked in an unnatural ebony color. The woman stood posed, ready to attack, controlled by some unknown force. Her eyes gleamed a bright yellow, trained on their mark, and her scythe was held in a firm grip that boasted practiced precision.

Her senses on high alert, Kokoro quickly rushed past the two and pivoted when she felt she was a safe distance away. Her guard up, the spirit glanced up to find the woman… still next to Nao?

The brunette was confused, but she didn't question it. If the obviously formidable woman didn't want to chase after her, all the better. She turned around once more and dashed deeper into the building, on high alert just in case the newcomer decided to change her mind.

Back towards the entrance, Nao was leaning up, supporting her upper body on one hand while the other gingerly rubbed her sore neck. She watched the stranger's back suspiciously, ready to flee at any moment; she was in no condition to put up a decent fight. "Who are you?" She finally asked.

The tall woman turned her head to glance over her shoulder. She glanced at the imp with shining yellow eyes. Instead of responding, the mysterious person looked forward and soundlessly walked away, walking right into a portal that suddenly appeared before her. The vortex closed as soon as the woman fully passed through. Bewildered, Nao continued to stare at the spot the other vanished, _The hell?_

She quickly snapped out of it, "I have to call Natsuki." She reached into one of her pockets and pushed one of the numbers she had on speed-dial.

* * *

"Haruka-chan," Yukino rushed up to the Demon Lord's seat, out of breath from running. "It's the human! She's—"

"I know," Haruka sat behind her desk cut, a deep frown on her face as purple eyes glared at the double doors further down. She turned to her wife, "Yukino, go onto the intercom and tell everyone they have one minute to evacuate the Council Building." She stood up from her chair, "Then I want you to seal this place in a barrier- nothing goes in and nothing comes out!"

A small gasped escaped past the werecat's lips, "But that means you'll be trapped inside!" Yukino's magic skills were highly revered, her binding and barrier spells even more renowned than her elemental capabilities. Haruka often used Yukino's spells to train and keep herself in top form.

The blonde nodded, "I know what she's after, and what she's capable of. If it comes down to it, I will take her down by force!" As if to drive the point home, Haruka summoned her weapon:

Reaching down into the floor, she pulled out an oversized morning star, its chain links unable to swing freely due to the spiked ball's massive heft. She laid the metal staff of her weapon across her desk, letting the ball rest on the ground with an audible thump. This was the Element she received from the Angelic Order upon receiving her title of Demon Lord.

Haruka turned to Yukino, "Do you really think I can't emancipate _one human_?" She smirked.

A wave of relief washed through Yukino. She gave the ogre a small smile, "It's 'exterminate,' Haruka-chan." The familiar, routine act of correcting her wife did wonders for her nerves.

A perplexed frown, "That's what I said." She shook her head, moving on, "Now isn't the time for word games. Get on the intercom and warn everyone. Then, escape through the back door and form a barrier around the Council Building once you're safely outside."

The werecat promptly picked up the phone at her own desk and pushed the intercom button: "_This is Yukino Suzushiro with a message for everyone in the Council Building: please evacuate the vicinity. I repeat, please evacuate the vicinity. In a worse case scenario, the Demon Lord will have to unleash all her power; if you are trapped inside the building when this happens, you will not be spared. You have one minute to vacate the premises._"

She placed the receiver down and transformed into her animal form. She placed the large, open spell book down her spine so it would stay with her as she ran. Her green eyes lifted to meet her wife's, "Stay safe." She was off, sprinting on all fours towards the doorway at the far end of the room.

"Hmph," Haruka scoffed. "'Stay safe'? What does she think I am, some second-class demon?" A smile formed on her face in spite of her words; there wasn't anything that could calm the Demon Lord once she had her mind set on something, but her wife could at least cool her down enough to think things through sensibly. And Haruka was going to need all of her senses for the upcoming fight; she was about to face off with a Demon E—

The double doors opened to reveal Shizuru standing in the doorway, "I was told there's an evacuation going on?" Kokoro asked with a pleasant smile.

Haruka narrowed her eyes to the figure making her way down the red carpet, "I'm sure you know why."

Kokoro's smile twitched into a smirk, "Oh, I have a pretty good inkling…" She approached the Demon Lord and sat on the wooden desk, enjoying the annoyed expression it produced, "As for you, I have _no doubt_ that you know why I'm here." She held out her hand patiently, "So, if you would be so kind, please hand them over."

The horned demon's already short temper was being tested and she fought to keep her morning star on her desk, "I know _exactly_ why you're here, _Demon Eater_!"

Kokoro's face lit up, "Ah! So you do know what I am. Good, good. Then you also know that I'm here to pick up any documentation you have about Demon Eaters." _Then I can find a way to wake Shizuru-sama up and provide her with the information she needs to survive._

It was Haruka's turn to smirk, "We don't have much information about that topic. I would say I'm sorry, but I'm not."

Kokoro's smile dropped, "Some information is better than none."

"_None_ of which you're getting!"

Kokoro lunched forward without a warning, and Haruka was just barely able to move out of the way. "Give me those documents!" The spirit hissed, quickly getting off of the toppled chair.

"You'll have to kill me to get to those papers!" Haruka replied, moving into an offensive stance.

"Consider it done." Kokoro rushed forward, jumping up and getting ready to send her feet into the Demon Lord's gut, only to find a metal staff blocking her path. Haruka rebound the succubus back a good thirty feet.

Luckily, a succubus' legs acted like springs, absorbing the shock of any harsh landings, or channeling it back out of their legs to use; that was the trick behind Kokoro's powerful kicks. The spirit used the shock of her landing to kick-start her next dash, running twice as fast as before.

Suzushiro tensed when she momentarily lost sight of the Demon Eater, looking around the room for her enemy. A few seconds into her search, she felt something wrap around her leg, and before she could react, she was tripped up and flung into her chair and desk, her morning star crashing into Yukino's workplace.

Kokoro was crouched on all fours, her tail swishing pleasantly above her as she waited for her opponent to surface from the debris. "Hmhm~ Had enough? This can all end if you just give me those papers," She purred, her bright red eyes glimmering in delight.

A low chuckle resonated from the pile of rubble, cutting Kokoro's gloating short. Red eyes watched as a single hand pushed through the thick, heavy wreckage, lifting it as if it was a stack of papers. Kokoro took a few cautious steps back, looking on as Haruka simply stood up and tossed the wooden boards and planks aside. The blonde brushed herself off while fetching her morning star.

The ogre turned back to the succubus, "Did you really think a weak toss like that could harm the Demon Lord?" She smirked at Kokoro's sour expression, revealing her bone-crushingly powerful canines, "I guess this fright will be easier than I thought it would be."

"No one's fighting anyone," A new voice cut it, and was quickly followed by the room shaking violently. A cracking noise caught the attention of all and Haruka could barely utter out a surprised 'Huh?' before the ceiling above her head came crashing down, entombing her under thick slabs of marble and concrete. The shaking stopped.

Kokoro blinked at the sight, "Hm. Well that's convenient."

"Hey, you! Thing in Shizuru's body!"

The spirit turned to find both Natsuki and Nao standing inside the room, "Yes?" She drawled dangerously.

"I know what you're trying to do, but it won't work," Natsuki started. "You might not believe me when I say this, but_ you're_ the reason she won't wake up!"

"_What?_" The succubus hissed and her eyes started to shine brightly in response to her anger, her tail snapping from side to side. "Oh, I see what this is:" Kokoro spat, "Now that Shizuru-sama's a demon, she's no longer your responsibility. Therefore, you want to eliminate her before she starts acting like a true Demon Eater!" She switched into an attacking stance, "Well I won't let you!"

Natsuki glared, "What the hell are you talking about? I care for Shizuru!" The thought that this… _thing_ doubted that infuriated the elf like nothing else.

"Cared enough to cast aside her feelings and focus on yourself!" Kokoro retorted, rushing forward. Natsuki and Nao sidestepped, and Kokoro skidded to a halt, getting ready for a second charge.

"What're you talking about? I've been trying to get her home this whole time!" Natsuki yelled back. How was that selfish?

"You're so focused on getting her home that you're blinded to how she truly feels! Do you even know why she was upset last night?"

Natsuki frowned, confused. "Last night? What about last night?"

The intense anger slowly melted away and in its place came sorrow, "You really don't understand?" There was a heavy pause before Kokoro shook her head, "When Shizuru-sama wakes up, I will find someone worthy of her, someone that will return her feelings and will accept her for the demon she has become!" She met Natsuki's gaze evenly, "You are in the way."

"But Shizuru won't wake up if you don't dive back into her subconscious," Natsuki replied. How she wanted to challenge Kokoro's other claims! She couldn't, however. Not now. She knew that if she didn't get through to Kokoro right now, Haruka would probably put a bounty on Shizuru and Kokoro wouldn't be any closer to waking up her charge.

The spirit raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed, "Oh?"

"Yes, Suzushiro told us the gist of it outside." Yukino Suzushiro. "She said that you're pushing her consciousness deep into her mind without even realizing it. That since you're two whole levels higher on the food chain, that your aura is naturally overpowering her; Shizuru- no, _any_ human wouldn't be able to deal with something like that."

Kokoro looked struck, "That's…" _Me?_ I'm_ keeping her like this…? _She glared, "Lies! My whole existence is to serve under her and make her happy! I would never push her into the back of her mind!"

"I know you wouldn't," Natsuki held her hands up to pacify the other and show that she didn't mean any offence. "I know you wouldn't purposefully do it, but it's on a subconscious level. The fact that you're here, consciously talking to us, means that you're keeping Shizuru trapped in a comatose state without even trying."

The spirit was silent, mulling over Natsuki's words. She thought back to when Shizuru first didn't respond, right when she took control of Fujino's body. Everything clicked. _Her words._ _They ring true, don't they?_ An ironic smile appeared on her face, _All I wanted to do was to help you, Shizuru-sama, but it seems that I can only do that at the cost of your very existence._ The smile fell, _I just wanted to live up to the name you so kindly granted me, but it looks like this is one part of your 'heart' you should be without._

Steeling herself, the spirit lifted her gaze to meet Natsuki's. She wouldn't let anyone see her weakness. "Do you have a mirror I can borrow?" _I will give you back what I have taken; I can only hope that you will forgive me._

Kuga turned to Nao who begrudgingly handed her hand-size make-up mirror to Kokoro.

The succubus flipped it open and looked right into her own red eyes. She focused on them intensely before starting the hypnosis process. She was going to put herself to sleep, deep in the recesses of Shizuru's mind, only to surface when called upon. The spirit watched a second ring form around her pupils, moving along with the first iris in an entrancing pattern.

_I'm so sorry…_ Kokoro felt her knees getting weak, becoming tired. _Shizuru-sama…_

Shizuru's body lurched forward, the mirror clattering on the floor. "Shizuru!" Natsuki lunged forward, skidding on her knees and catching the brunette's body before it hit the ground.

Soft groans soon followed until, eventually, Shizuru's eyes fluttered open, "Natsuki?"

"Shizuru!" Natsuki smiled before hugging Shizuru close, "You're back!"

"Natsuki," A small, weak smile formed on Shizuru's face. Her whole body ached, and she couldn't remember the last two hours, but being in Natsuki's arms made her feel safe. She nuzzled her nose into Kuga's neck, enjoying the wonderful scent she produced. "Mmm..." _So nice,_ Fujino smiled blissfully as she pulled herself closer to Natsuki's body. _I could stay like this forever._

Shizuru soon purred contently, biting back the urge to lick that nice, inviting throat. She lightly pressed her ear to Natsuki's collar, indulging in the sounds of the current that flowed just beneath the surface. _Natsuki, you smell _wonderful_._

Her canines suddenly started to hurt and she flinched a little as they throbbed. Shizuru opened her mouth, eye closed and brows furrowed in pain, now desperate to sink her teeth into something to make them stop hurting. Fangs extended, she started to make her way towards the most irresistible aroma she had ever experienced: _Natsuki…_

"… -zuru?"

Shizuru jerked, now fully aware of her surroundings. _What?_ She was frozen in place. _What was I…?_

"Shizuru? I asked you a question," Natsuki's voice came from above. "Did you not hear me?"

"Ah, no. Sorry…" Hesitantly, Shizuru drew back from Natsuki, closing her mouth as she did so. "I didn't hear you." She finished distractedly. _What was I about to do?_ She then noticed Natsuki giving her a look and flashed an apologetic smiled, "Could you repeat?"

"You were moving around quite a bit and I wondered if I was holding too tightly. I asked if you were alright," Natsuki replied, still scrutinizing Shizuru with her gaze.

Suddenly feeling exposed under that green stare, she made to give the most convincing smile she could to hide her discomfort, "Yes, I'm quite alright." She looked to where she was sitting on Natsuki's lap, "But if it's not too much trouble, I would like to get up."

"What?" Natsuki glanced down to find her hands had subconsciously linked around Shizuru's waist, keeping the brunette on her lap. "Er!" Her cheeks flared up and she quickly removed her hands from Shizuru's midsection, helping the succubus stand up.

Shizuru inwardly cooed at the sight of a bashful Natsuki and gave in to the urge to lightly kiss one of those pink cheeks, "Ookini." She pulled back just in time to watch the color deepen into a rich red. _So cute!_ The last foot of her tail swished back and forth delightfully, reflecting her mood.

"_RAH!_" Both Natsuki and Shizuru jumped at the thunderous roar. They watched as the nearby pile of concrete slowly lifted upward. Underneath it was Haruka, holding it all high above her head with both hands. Aura radiated from her body in intense waves and her bottom jaw protruded outward to reveal ogre tusks. "_KUGA — A!_" Her bellow shook the building for a second time.

She was pissed.

"Wait, Suzushiro!" Natsuki preemptively slid her arm into her trench coat, gripping the handle of her gun firmly in her hand. "Shizuru's back in control of her body. She's not a threat anymore."

"Doesn't matter!" Haruka threw the marble slabs aside and picked up her oversized morning star. "Her existence is a danger to demon kind everywhere and she needs to be despised of immediately!"

"'Disposed of,' Haruka-chan!" A tiny voice came from the entrance of the room. They all turned around to see a panting Yukino leaning against the open doorway.

"Yukino!" Haruka exclaimed, "Didn't I tell you to wait outsi—"

Natsuki yelled over before Haruka could finish, "Suzushiro!" She watched as they both looked over and quickly clarified, "Yukino-san, could you tell me what's going on? What did you mean when you said 'Demon Eater'?"

Shizuru stiffened beside her.

Under Natsuki's scrutinizing stare, Yukino shifted uncomfortably. Her green eyes darted to Shizuru's form for a second before looking back to the Second Column, "A Demon Eater eats demons."

"No, really?" Nao cut in, her voice dripping in sarcasm. She rolled her eyes, "How about explaining what we don't already know."

"That's just it," Yukino adjusted her glasses, a nervous habit. "We barely know anything about them. We only learned about them recently because we were warned by the Holy Lord herself."

Natsuki raised an eyebrow, "God?"

The werecat nodded, "She told us to be wary of a new entity. A 'Turned Devil,' she described." Her tail swung back and forth in her unease and she sighed, "You know the Holy Lord can't give Haruka-chan more than short, riddled prophecies of the future, so we started an investigation of our own and found out about 'Demon Eaters.' They were only supposed to be a rumor, a creature of legend; the thought of a human turning into a being that ate demons was preposterous… until Fujino-san arrived.

"The idea of a human making it into the Demonic Realm is virtually unheard of- maybe once every three-hundred years. Even then, they're usually killed within the first few minutes. Fujino-san wasn't.

"You arrived her with her, Kuga-sama, asking to take her home. We agreed, but we were worried about what might happen, so we asked Akira-kun to follow you and eliminate Fujino-san if anything strange happened."

"'Eliminate'?" Natsuki eyes narrowed and Yukino quivered under the glare. "So _that's_ why Okuzaki was there last night."

Yukino fought against the urge to transform and run to safety, even as Kuga's aura continued to grow stronger. She might have been a highly skilled magician, but she was still no match for the Second Column, an elf who naturally wields the elements. "P-please, Kuga-sama! You must understand! W-we were just—"

"It's for the safety of my people!" Haruka cut in, meeting Natsuki's glower with one of her own. "I will annihilate any enemy who poses a threat to this realm! Angel, Demon Eater- anything!"

"But she's _not_ a threat anymore! Shizuru is in control of her own body now!"

"But for how long?" Upon seeing Natsuki's confused look, Yukino continued somberly, "We hardly know about 'Demon Eaters,' but we do know this: Much like a demon who has more power than they can handle, they go mad. Mad with an insatiable hunger that cannot be satisfied.

"She is Demon Eater, one step above the food chain from the rest of us. She's built to attack and eat us the way we're built to attack and eat humans. Once that hunger is triggered, everyone in this realm would become an edible target."

"Which is why we must get rid of her now!" Haruka ended, moving her morning star to rest on her shoulder.

_Natsuki…_ A shivering hand moved up to gingerly feel her retracted fangs. Images of just moments ago flashed through Shizuru's mind and she barely repressed a shudder. _Was I really going to… to Natsuki?_ Was her mere presence putting Natsuki in danger? _I don't want to hurt anyone._

Didn't she already kill those two teenagers?

"Then we deal with this that way we deal with demons who can't control their power," Natsuki replied evenly.

Yukino blinked, "What?"

"It's simple: we just get Shizuru a Seal."

Yukino frowned, "We have no Seals that would be strong enough to contain a Demon Eater's aura."

"Then we go to Heaven and get one crafted," Natsuki shrugged. "No big deal."

Yukino and Haruka looked to one another. They turned back after a bit and Haruka spoke up, "She would still be eating demons."

"We'll put her on a strict 'no-demons' diet." Natsuki smirked, knowing she was winning the argument.

Haruka frowned, "Where will she stay?"

"My house, of course." Natsuki flipped her hair over her shoulder and grinned, "She'll have Nao's bed."

"_What!_" Nao glared at her charge, "Like hell she is!"

There was a long period of silence where Natsuki and Haruka just stared at each other. Finally, Haruka sighed, closing her eyes in defeat, "Fine, she may live with you." She opened her eyes, "But if _anything_ goes wrong, I'm holding you both respectable."

"'Responsible,' Haruka-chan," Yukino smiled.

Natsuki nodded, "I understand."

A feeling of relief flushed through the elf and she smiled. Before she could celebrate, however, another spoke up: "Natsuki?"

The biker turned at Shizuru's voice, expecting to see a bright smile on the succubus's face, but was only met with an anxious frown. "What's wrong?" She asked, confused.

"What if something _does_ go wrong?" The brunette started, fear swirling in her dark red eyes. "What if I attack you? The last thing I want to do is put you in danger and if I don't have control then I might—"

"_Shizuru._"

Shizuru stopped. "… Yes?"

Natsuki gave her the warmest of smiles, "It'll be fine." She continued, "We'll go to Heaven and get you a Seal. I'll make sure nothing goes wrong, trust me."

Shizuru's eyes widened, "Natsuki…" The warmth from Natsuki's smile spread through her body, enveloping her in a soothing embrace.

"Yukino and I will come too," Haruka added. "I got a request from God to talk about something. Might as well get it over with today." She started to make for the front door, "Make your way over to the Terminal, we'll meet you over there in a bit." Yukino fell into step behind her.

Natsuki turned back to Shizuru, grinning, "Shall we?" She held out her hand.

A small smile formed on Shizuru's face, feeling as if a heavy burden was lifted off her shoulders. She made to reach out for Natsuki's hand, when a loud cry jolted her.

"_Booya!_"

Everyone turned to the front of the room to see Baxter and Kane burst through the door. The shadow demon held up her gun while Kane crouched down on all fours, in animal form, ready to attack.

"Where's that bitch? I've got one serving of kick-ass ready to go!" Alexis cocked her shotgun and glanced around the room with a confident smirk.

"Uh, you're a bit late," Nao replied as she took out a nail file. She started to work on her nails, "Everything's already resolved."

Haruka face-palmed, shaking her head, "Baxter…"

"… Oh." A heavy silence followed and Alexis slowly placed her shotgun back into her shadow. "Um," a cough, "well… This is awkward."

She fidgeted uncomfortably before turning to Shizuru, "You're not a bitch, by the way…" An awkward smile, "Just… putting that out there…"

_To Be Continued._

* * *

Sorry, no Demonology entry this time. You guys got seven more pages (on Word) than usual so I thought you could do without. =P And for the mysterious woman that protected Nao, if you had trouble envisioning what she looked like, just imagine Mikoto's berserker mode from Hime, but covering the whole body.

Note: Kokoro is not 'gone.' She's merely dormant, so she's still there. If Kokoro were to disappear, Shizuru would basically lose her ambition (the feeling Kokoro represents), thus becoming very un-Shizuru.

Fun Fact: Alexis pronounces Kane's name "Cane" (like a walking "cane") while everyone else pronounces it "Ka-ne," like it's suppose to be pronounced. The way the Japanese pronounce her name it sounds like the Italian way to say dog. "Urufu" is also the Engrish way to say 'wolf' in Japanese. Kane Urufu. =)

If you like what you've read, or see something I can improve on, please leave a review with any questions or comments you might have. ^^


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